Short Answer: White rice is bad for high cholesterol. Because it has very little fiber and a lot of starch and they can raise your blood cholesterol and sugar levels.
High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.
In high cholesterol, your body produces too much of a waxy substance called cholesterol, which can build up in your arteries and narrow them.
This can lead to various health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, angina, and peripheral artery disease.
One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.
What you consume can affect your blood cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables and avoid saturated fat-rich foods like butter, cheese, red meat, and pastries.
Now, white rice is a type of refined grain that has been processed to remove the bran and germ, which contain most of the fiber and nutrients.
People usually eat white rice as a staple food or a side dish with other foods.
White rice is bad for high cholesterol because it contains very little fiber and a lot of starch.
Fiber can help lower your blood cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol and removing it from your body.
Starch can raise your blood sugar levels, which can stimulate your liver to produce more cholesterol.
One cup of cooked white rice can give you 0.6 grams of fiber (2% of your daily needs) and 53 grams of carbohydrates (18% of your daily needs).
Fiber can positively affect high cholesterol by reducing your LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing your HDL (good) cholesterol.
Starch can negatively affect high cholesterol by increasing your triglycerides and lowering your HDL cholesterol.
Furthermore, white rice is a high glycemic index (GI) food and high GI foods are bad for high cholesterol.
Because, high GI foods can cause spikes in your blood sugar and insulin levels, which can increase inflammation and oxidative stress in your blood vessels and worsen your high cholesterol.
That’s why I suggest you limit your white rice intake to prevent or reduce the risk of high cholesterol and its complications.
Stick to half a cup of cooked white rice per day to minimize the negative effects on your blood cholesterol levels.
Also, you shouldn’t eat white rice if you have diabetes or prediabetes to prevent high blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Because, high blood sugar and insulin resistance can damage your blood vessels and increase your cholesterol production.
You can buy white rice in your local market or can order it from online.
Always choose whole grain rice or brown rice over white rice.
Because, whole grain rice or brown rice have more fiber and nutrients than white rice.
You can store white rice in an airtight container in a cool and dry place for up to a year.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.
I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a high cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.