Meta-analysiscited by the Tayebat archiveabstract only checked A-WHT-18 standard review
White rice and diabetes, heart disease, cancer
White rice consumption and risk of cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.
Overview
Lai H et al.. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2023 · PMID 35852223 · DOI 10.1080/10408398.2022.2101984
More white rice linked to more diabetes (16 more cases per 1000), not to heart disease or cancer.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
White rice outcomes
- How was the study done?
Meta-analysis
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
1.5 million
- What was actually found?
T2D up; others null
- How large was the observed effect?
RR 1.18
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Moderate rice fine; large intakes raise diabetes risk modestly
- What are the study's limitations?
Observational
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Conflicts with unlimited rice
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Moderate
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Cause
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Lai H, Sun M, Liu Y, Zhu H, Li M, Pan B, Wang Q, Yang Q, Cao X, Tian C, Lu Y, Song X, Ding G, Tian J, Yang K, Ge L
- Journal
- Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr
- Year
- 2023
- Identifier
- PMID 35852223 DOI 10.1080/10408398.2022.2101984
- Verification
- verified – PubMed E-utilities efetch, 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
None stated.
2. Research question
White rice and cardiometabolic/cancer outcomes
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Systematic review, dose-response meta-analysis with GRADE
- Population
Cohorts
- Country
Multiple
- Period
not stated
- Sample size
23 articles, 28 cohorts, 1,527,198 participants
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
White rice
- Comparator
Lowest
- Endpoints
T2D, CVD, cancer, MetS
- Statistical methods
Random effects; GRADE
5. Actual results
- Results
T2D highest vs lowest RR 1.18 (16 more per 1000 persons; moderate certainty); females 23 more per 1000; +150 g/day: 6% higher risk (5 more per 1000). No significant associations with CVD, CVD mortality, cancer, MetS (low to very low certainty).
- Absolute risks
16 more T2D cases per 1000 persons (highest vs lowest); 5 more per 1000 per 150 g/day
- Authors' conclusion
Moderate certainty that white rice is associated with T2D; no substantial associations for other outcomes.
6. Strengths
- GRADE
- absolute effects
7. Weaknesses
- Observational
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Absolute effect small.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Contradicts C-GRN-05.
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Moderate.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Modest T2D association.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | moderate |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | moderate |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | taken out of context |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- Rice in all forms (including white rice) is allowed without restriction; 'rice is sugar' and two spoons of rice a day sustain life. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim
Use by the Tayebat archive
Note: according to the archive, the studies were compiled by the archive operators. Whether Dr. Elawady himself cited this study is not established.
- What the archive says about the study
Listed in bibliography only.
- D. What does the archive derive from it?
Cited under white-flour rule.
- E. Is this derivation scientifically justified?
Contradicts the system's unrestricted rice allowance; archive does not reconcile.
- Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)
- taken out of context