The Study
Impact of 3 G rice on plasma glucose, insulin, and gastrointestinal hormones in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes: A non-randomized experimental study.
This study saw what happened to people's blood sugar and hormones after they ate one kind of rice versus another. It found differences, but it didn't randomly assign who ate what, so we can't be sure the rice caused the changes — maybe the people who ate 3G rice were already healthier in other ways.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study tested a special rice called 3G rice to see if it helps lower blood sugar after eating, compared to regular white rice.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1For people with obesity, this rice may help avoid big blood sugar spikes after meals by boosting natural hormones that regulate sugar — but it doesn't work the same way for people with type 2 diabetes.
- 2In people with obesity: blood sugar was much lower after eating 3G rice (0.06 vs 1.47 mmol/L at 120 min) and insulin and GLP-1 hormones went up.
- 3In people with type 2 diabetes: blood sugar dropped a little (3.57 vs 5.15 mmol/L), but hormones didn't change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Obesity research & clinical practice
Year
2025
Authors
C. Chaichana, P. Pramyothin, W. Treesuwan, Preechaya Jangtawee, A. Yindeengam, S. Kaewmanee, A. Vanavichit, R. Krittayaphong
Related Content
Claims (6)
How the body reacts to rice depends on the specific structure of the starch molecules in the rice, not on the total amount of carbohydrates it contains.
In adults with obesity, eating 50 grams of carbohydrates from 3G rice leads to higher insulin levels 90 to 120 minutes after eating than eating the same amount of carbohydrates from white rice, despite similar glucose levels.
In adults with obesity, eating 50 grams of carbohydrates from 3G rice results in a measurable and sustained increase in GLP-1 hormone levels between 60 and 120 minutes after the meal.
In adults with obesity, eating 50 grams of carbohydrates from 3G rice results in lower blood glucose levels at 90 and 120 minutes after eating compared to eating the same amount of carbohydrates from white rice.
When people with type 2 diabetes eat 50 grams of carbohydrates from 3G rice instead of white rice, their blood glucose levels are lower two hours after eating, but insulin and gut hormone levels do not change.
When adults with obesity eat 3G rice, their blood glucose levels decrease and GLP-1 hormone levels increase. These changes do not occur in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.