Why cold rice doesn't spike blood sugar as much
Influence of resistant starch resulting from the cooling of rice on postprandial glycemia in type 1 diabetes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cooled rice didn’t just reduce glucose—it made it peak faster.
People assume resistant starch slows digestion, so glucose should rise slower. But here, it peaked sooner—likely because the starch breaks down more uniformly once digestion starts, not gradually.
Practical Takeaways
If you have type 1 diabetes and eat rice often, try cooling it overnight and reheating—but reduce your insulin bolus by 20-30% and monitor closely.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cooled rice didn’t just reduce glucose—it made it peak faster.
People assume resistant starch slows digestion, so glucose should rise slower. But here, it peaked sooner—likely because the starch breaks down more uniformly once digestion starts, not gradually.
Practical Takeaways
If you have type 1 diabetes and eat rice often, try cooling it overnight and reheating—but reduce your insulin bolus by 20-30% and monitor closely.
Publication
Journal
Nutrition & Diabetes
Year
2022
Authors
Sylwia Strozyk, A. Rogowicz-Frontczak, S. Piłaciński, Joanna LeThanh-Blicharz, Anna Koperska, D. Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you have type 1 diabetes and use an insulin pump that gives you the same amount of insulin no matter what you eat, eating cold rice can make your blood sugar drop too low after meals—because your body absorbs less sugar from cold rice, but you still get the same insulin dose.
If you cook rice and then chill it in the fridge for a day, it turns into a type of starch that doesn’t spike your blood sugar as much—this could help people with type 1 diabetes manage their blood sugar better after eating.
Chilling rice overnight and reheating it before eating makes your blood sugar rise much less after the meal because some of the starch turns into a form your body can’t digest easily.
Eating cooled rice instead of hot rice makes blood sugar rise faster in people with type 1 diabetes—peaking in 35 minutes instead of 45—which might help their insulin work better at the right time.
If you cook rice, let it cool in the fridge, and then reheat it, it turns into a type of starch that your body digests more slowly—so your blood sugar and insulin don’t spike as much after eating it.