White Rice and Effect of Gellan Gum on Glucose Responses by MRI

Rice is a staple food for over half the world\'s population. High consumption of white rice has been linked with high obesity and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. However, it is still the favoured type of rice among consumers, contributing to the observed increasing trends in diet-related diseases in countries with high rice consumption. Controlling the properties of white rice products (e.g. reducing the glycaemic index and/or increasing satiety) with relatively simple interventions could contribute to producing foods with health-promoting digestibility profiles. One way to reduce the glycaemic index of white rice is through processing. Addition of food thickeners (called hydrocolloid gums) has previously been shown to reduce the digestibility of foods. This work will test the hypothesis that gellan gum is a simple way to manipulate the body\'s glucose response to a white rice which in turn will have health-promoting effects. MRI imaging will be used to monitor the gastrointestinal responses.