Transcription
Over 2 and a half billion people eat rice. Over half the world, probably a lot more. And the problem with white rice has been refined. That means it's full of starches. These starches, when we eat them, have a high glycemic index. It gets into the cells very quick and it spikes up our insulin as well as our glucose levels. And it gets into the cells real quick. We eventually get that fall. We get that downfall. It doesn't get to the cell slowly. So therefore, when it gets in quick, we are more prone to insulin resistance, putting too much stress on the pancreas as it's trying to pump that insulin to get the glucose into the cells. And over time, it can't get into the cells. The insulin receptors become resistant to insulin. Builds up. Glucose starts to rise. Become pre-diabetic, then eventually diabetic.
But the reason why I'm talking about rice initially is because so many people eat it. But I want you to realize that rice, as well as potatoes, as well as pasta, all have starch in it. And these starches are all high glycemic, have a high glycemic index, gets into the cells real quick. And the objective here is it's not healthy. So there's a little trick we can do. If you cook your rice and put it in a refrigerator for at least 12 hours, that glycemic index is going to go from here, high, all the way down to here. Same thing in the potatoes. Same thing in your pasta. But if you leave it in a little longer, they say even up to 24 hours, the glycemic index will come even lower. And you're going to build what we call resistant starch.
Resistant starch is the molecular composition of the starch within these foods. It's called retrogradation. It changes. So therefore, when we eat it in the resistant starch mode, we don't have enzymes to digest it. So it's kind of like free starch, free food. But it even gets better because once it's refrigerated and we start to eat it. And by the way, studies show that when you heat it up after it's refrigerated, you can actually build more resistant starch as well. So yes, you can heat it up. Definitely and totally going to be an asset for you.
So when it gets into the small intestine, no enzymes. We as human beings don't have enzymes to digest resistant starch. So it makes its way into the colon. And guess what? This resistant starch acts as a prebiotic. It feeds the probiotics. So the probiotics eat the resistant starch, okay, which are the prebiotics. And it gives off short chain fatty acids. And one of the main ones is butyrate. And butyrate is like the colon magic because it prevents colon cancer as well as reduces inflammation once it gets in the bloodstream throughout the entire body. But the great thing about it is that it's proven that the resistant starch makes you more insulin sensitive. So here you are eating rice, becoming more insulin sensitive.
Portion control is definitely important in any food that you eat. So if you have bread, bread has starch. If you freeze it, keep it in the freezer, again, more resistant starch. A lot of it's not going to digest. Works as a prebiotic, feeds the probiotic. And if you toast it, the glycemic index even comes lower, building more resistant starch. Those are the four foods I want you to understand. That's an amazing trick.
So my best advice for people out there, if you're pre-diabetic, diabetic, insulin resistant, this is so much healthier to keep it refrigerated, then heat it up. Unfortunately, when you just cook it and you eat it, that's going to be the highest amount of your starches, highest glycemic index, making its way into the cells real quick. Refrigerating, refrigerating it, puts it through that molecular change, that retrogradation, building that resistant starch, making it an asset for you because now you have a prebiotic. It's a fiber. And that prebiotic feeds the probiotic. Never gets digested. We never get to calories. Yes, you can lose weight. Yes, it will keep you satiety. It will make you more insulin sensitive. It will help reverse insulin resistance. Portion control is definitely important, just like any other food.
So I hope that this scientific tip that you just learned today can make a big difference in your health. And it will. But remember that portion control is very important. Please share this video with your friends and family. Leave your comments below. And most important, make it a great day. I'm Dr. Alan Mandel.