Rice fibre, starch and glycaemic index for human health
What it found
White rice is mostly starch with only trace amounts of fibre, and it is digested quickly, giving it a high glycaemic index.
The paper says this is linked to higher risks of type-2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
What they found
Studies in people
White rice and diabetes
A strong correlation has been established between eating white rice and type-2 diabetes. One study found that increasing the fibre content of white rice reduced the glycaemic index, which would be expected to reduce diabetes risk.
Studies in people and animals
Fibre and disease risk
The paper states that established health benefits of cereal fibre include lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing the incidence of bowel and breast cancers.
Other findings
White rice composition
White rice is over 90% starch with only trace amounts of dietary fibre. Fibre makes up only about 0.5 to 2% of white rice, compared to around 6% in unpolished rice.
Glycaemic index range
Different types of rice have glycaemic index values from a low of 48 to a high of 92, with an average medium value of 64.
Rice fibre composition
Rice fibre differs from wheat and other cereals. It contains about 25% pectin, which is only present at trace amounts in other cereals, plus xylans, cellulose and beta-glucan at around 25% each.
Resistant starch types
Resistant starch is a small fraction of starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine and is fermented by gut bacteria in the colon, producing short chain fatty acids. There are five types, including those from intact cell walls, native starch granules, cooked and cooled starch, chemically altered starch, and amylose-lipid complexes.
What the authors conclude
“It is therefore necessary to develop rice lines in which high energy content is combined with low GI.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say it is necessary to develop rice lines in which high energy content is combined with low glycaemic index.
- They suggest this may be achieved by combining acceptable levels of resistant starch with an increased content of cell wall derived dietary fibre components.
- Their work is focused on identifying variation in the content and composition of fibre in white rice and combining high fibre genotypes with moderate levels of resistant starch to develop lines with improved health benefits and good quality.
How it was done
Soft white rice is the main calorie source in much of South East Asia, but polishing removes the bran and embryo, losing most vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. The authors want rice lines that keep high energy but have a low glycaemic index.
The paper reviews existing evidence on rice fibre, starch and glycaemic index, and describes ongoing work to find variation in fibre content and composition in white rice. It does not report a new trial or a set number of participants.
What it can’t tell you
- This paper does not report a new trial in people, so it cannot show cause and effect for any health outcome.
- The links between white rice, fibre and diseases come from other studies and are associations, not proof that rice causes or prevents disease.
- The ongoing work to breed high fibre rice has not yet produced results on human health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Grain Quality and Nutrition Centre, IRRI
The paper
- Title
- Improving Rice Dietary Fibre Content and Composition for Human Health
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lovegrove A, Kosik O, Bandonill E, et al (2019). Improving Rice Dietary Fibre Content and Composition for Human Health. Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology. doi:10.3177/jnsv.65.S48Free full textPubMed 31619645DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error