Breakthrough in the Fight Against Diabetes: Philippines Unveils Low-Sugar Rice Variety

Breakthrough in the Fight Against Diabetes: Philippines Unveils Low-Sugar Rice Variety

September 26, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Health
<img alt="A ⁣research team from the⁤ Philippines has⁢ developed​ a new ⁢low-sugar,⁢ high-protein rice‌ variety ​to provide healthier dietary choices for diabetics.” src=”https://www.anntw.com/system/assets/images/000/084/119/big/%E8%8F%B2%E5%BE%8B%E8%B3%93%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6%E5%9C%98%E9%9A%8A%E7%A0%94%E7%99%BC%E5%85%B7%E6%9C%89%E4%BD%8E%E8%A1%80%E7%B3%96%E5%92%8C%E9%AB%98%E8%9B%8B%E7%99%BD%E8%B3%AA%E7%9A%84%E6%96%B0%E5%93%81%E7%A8%AE%E7%A8%BB%E7%B1%B3%EF%BC%8C%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E7%B3%96%E5%B0%BF%E7%97%85%E6%82%A3%E8%80%85%E6%9B%B4%E5%81%A5%E5%BA%B7%E7%9A%84%E9%A3%B2%E9%A3%9F%E9%81%B8%E6%93%87%E3%80%82%EF%BC%88Photo_by_Sergei_A_on_Pexels_under_C.C_License%EF%BC%89.jpg?1727323234″ />

A research team from the Philippines ⁢has‌ developed a new low-sugar, ⁢high-protein rice variety to ‌provide healthier dietary ‍choices for diabetics.

Philippines Develops New Rice ⁣Variety to Help Prevent Diabetes

Diabetics can safely ⁢eat⁢ rice! A research team ⁤in the Philippines has developed​ a new variety of rice⁣ that not only contains nutritional genes for low sugar and high⁣ protein, but can also⁣ replace white rice as‍ a staple food.

Developing New Rice Varieties

The international Philippine rice research⁣ team conducted a 10-year study, analyzing 380 seed samples from the world’s largest rice ⁤gene bank to identify genetic markers with low sugar and high protein content. By ⁤combining them into “inbred lines” ‌(which naturally do⁣ not ‌accept pollen from other plants), they eventually developed rice that ‍is healthier for diabetes.

According ⁣to statistics, more than 537 million⁤ adults worldwide suffer from diabetes, with ‍type 2 diabetes being the most common. In patients who are overweight, have genetic factors, and lack physical ‌exercise, if‌ the pancreas fails to produce enough⁢ insulin, excess glucose will remain in the‌ blood, which can easily lead ⁢to⁢ type 2​ diabetes.

Main Risks of Diabetes

The ⁤International Rice Research Institute plans to‌ release new rice varieties to⁤ farmers ‌in Asian‌ and African countries as early as 2025. This⁢ variety is similar to white rice but has ⁣smaller grains. ⁤Currently, the research group has ⁣released two low glycemic index rice varieties in⁤ the Philippines. For rice, they are⁤ IRRI 125 and⁣ IRRI 147, respectively.

A nutritional epidemiologist at the University of North ⁤Carolina warned⁢ that sugary ⁤drinks and ultra-processed foods pose a ⁣greater risk ​of diabetes than rice sugar. He believes governments should tax sugary drinks‍ and ultra-processed​ foods and​ require warning labels on packaging to truly prevent ⁣diabetes.

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