Janet Ogundepo Some registered dietician-nutritionists have frowned at the habit of eating rice while it is hot, warning that it could lead to the rapid release of glucose into the bloodstream and trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. The nutrition experts explained that hot rice had a high glycemic index, and when consumed by diabetics causes raised blood sugar also known as hyperglycaemia, which could result in uncontrolled diabetes and damage to the nerves and blood vessels. According to the World Health Organisation, diabetes is a non-communicable disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use it.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose. It further notes that hyperglycaemia, also called raised blood glucose or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. Speaking further, the nutritionists stated that eating large quantities of hot rice could overwhelm the insulin required to metabolise the sugar produced by the rice, potentially resulting in ill health.
They also maintained that while nutrition and diet were largely dependent on individual preference, certain foods were recommended to be at certain temperatures before consumption. In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the dieticians advised that rice should be eaten while still warm and not cold to avoid .