How bad is rice as a carbohydrate?

Answer 1

White rice as a stand-alone carbohydrate is not good. It's glycemic index (the rate at which the carbohydrate is converted to sugar and absorbed into the blood system is high). The resultant high blood sugar will cause the body to react by producing insulin. Basically, insulin grabs that sugar and stores it in the body (i.e. weight gain). That being said, if rice is combined with a slower absorbing food, like protein (e.g. fish) or even fat (e.g. a coconut curry sauce) it is digested and absorbed much more slowly and less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar and an insulin surge. Brown rice is better than white - it digests more slowly. A good carb is one referred to as complex. Complex basically means digested and absorbed more slowly than a simple carbohydrate. White sugar is a simple carb. Whole wheat is a complex carb.