Objectives:
To summarize evidence regarding the association between white rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes and to quantify the potential dose-response relationship.
Design:
Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Data Sources:
We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles published through July 2011 using keywords that included both rice intake and diabetes. We further searched references of included original studies.
Study Selection:
Prospective cohort studies that reported risk estimates of type 2 diabetes by white rice intake levels were selected for inclusion.
Data Synthesis:
Relative risks were pooled using a fixed-effects model. We also modeled the dose-response relationship utilizing data from all white rice intake categories in each study.
Results:
We identified 4 articles that included 7 distinct prospective cohort analyses for this study. A total of 13,284 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were ascertained among 352,384 participants with follow-up periods ranging from 4 to 22 years. The pooled relative risk (RR) for type 2 diabetes was 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.34) comparing the highest with the lowest category of white rice intake. In addition, the dose-response meta-analysis suggested a linear association between white rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: the RR (95% CI) was 1.10 (1.07, 1.14;
P
<0.001) for each serving/d (∼158 grams for a serving of cooked rice) increased intake of white rice.
Conclusion:
Frequent consumption of white rice is associated with a moderately increased risk of type 2 diabetes. These findings support the recommendation that consumption of white rice should be reduced in place of healthier options such as brown rice and other whole grains to lower risk of diabetes.
White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women
