White rice can be part of a healthy diet, but it is not the most nutritious cereal over there. That’s why a tip for reducing the calories and carbs in white rice is widely shared on social networks. All you have to do is cook the rice, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheat it.

But does this rice trick really work or is it just hype? Experts TODAY.com spoke with say that is indeed the case.

There are some science at play behind this rice hack, namely that rice is primarily starch and cooking rice changes the starch on a molecular level, as does cooling it once cooked.

The cooling process makes the starch in rice more difficult to digest, so the body absorbs fewer calories and carbohydrates when eating cooked and then cooled rice. But don’t worry, you don’t need to eat the rice cold to get these benefits (although cooling it and reheating it again changes its texture).

Read on to find out what experts say about how this rice trick works, its health benefits, risks, and more.

Rice hack goes viral on social media

Many accounts on TikTok and Instagram have posted about this rice hack, which is surprisingly easy to try:

• Cook your white rice.
• Put it in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheat it the next day.

The idea is that the cooling process increases the amount of a gut-healthy carbohydrate, called resistant starch, that the body can’t digest. As a result, eating this rice with a more resistant starch means consuming fewer calories and carbs, and fewer blood sugar spikes.

Some influencers even claim this hack can cut the absorption of calories from white rice in half, although research doesn’t support this exact amount, experts say.

What is resistant starch?

White rice is made primarily from starches, which are complex carbohydrates made up of glucose molecules linked together by bonds, Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com . (Glucose is a type of sugar and your body’s main source of energy.)

“When we eat (starch), we have digestive enzymes that break it down into simple sugars that we can absorb,” Darrell Cockburn, Ph.D., associate professor of food sciences at Penn State University, told TODAY.com. This causes blood sugar to rise.

There are several types of starches, which are digested differently, Cockburn notes. These include fast-digesting starch, slow-digesting starch, and resistant starch.

Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. “They are called “resistant” because they resist digestion in the small intestine. Instead, it travels into the colon (large intestine), where it is fermented, creating short-chain fatty acids that feed healthy gut bacteria,” explains Frances Largeman-Roth, registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “The Carb Lover’s Diet.” TODAY.com.

This means that resistant starch acts as a dietary fiberCockburn said. In addition to feeding gut microbes, resistant starches slow the production and absorption of sugar, meaning they don’t raise blood sugar as much as other starches.

Resistant starches are associated with a number of health benefits, from improving gut health and reducing blood sugar to preventing constipation and helping you feel full. “Resistant starch is abundant in a variety of foods, like legumes and beans, whole grains, raw potatoes, and unripe bananas,” says Derocha.

Cooling cooked rice means more resistant starch

According to experts, cooling and reheating rice will increase its resistant starch content, which will affect its nutritional value.

Cooking foods generally destroys natural resistant starches. “When you take hot, cooked rice out of the pot, it has what we would call a ‘loose structure’ of carbohydrates, so the glucose molecules are loose and digestible,” says Derocha.

If you eat freshly cooked rice immediately, the body can completely break down these starches and use up all the carbohydrates, which will increase blood sugar levels. “Cooked starchy foods… can raise blood sugar almost as well as pure sugar, because our digestive enzymes are very good at breaking it down,” says Cockburn.

Over time, especially in cooler temperatures, resistant starch can reform in some foods. “When you cook rice and cool it in the refrigerator, you tighten those molecular bonds (so) that they are more resistant to digestion…which creates resistant starch,” Derocha explains.

Reformed resistant starch is more heat-resistant than original resistant starch, “so reheating it usually doesn’t destroy it,” Cockburn adds.

The process by which starches rearrange themselves into a tighter structure as they cool, called retrogradation, also happens with other starchy foods like pasta and potatoes, Largeman-Roth says.

In a 2015 study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical NutritionIndonesian researchers compared the resistant starch content of freshly cooked white rice to that of cooked white rice that had been cooled to 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) for 24 hours and then reheated. Reheated rice contained about two and a half times more resistant starch than freshly cooked rice.

Rice hack leads to fewer carbs and calories

Cooked, cooled, and reheated rice contains a more resistant starch, so it has fewer carbohydrates available for the body to absorb, which also decreases the number of calories the body absorbs.

That said, exactly how much this tip will reduce the carbs and calories in white rice isn’t clear, experts say. “Unless you do lab testing, you don’t know, and that’s the hardest part for people counting their carbs,” says Derocha.

In a 2022 study published in the journal Nutrition & DiabetesResearchers found that for every 100 grams of cooled rice, there are about 5 grams less digestible carbohydrates compared to the same serving of fresh cooked rice.

Largeman-Roth estimates that cooked and cooled rice contains about 10 to 15 percent fewer calories than freshly cooked rice.

Can this rice tip help you lose weight?

Research suggests that eating foods containing resistant starch can help achieve weight loss goals, says Natalie Rizzo, a registered dietitian and TODAY.com’s senior nutrition editor.

For example, a randomized controlled trial with 37 participants found that resistant starch alters the gut microbiome to inhibit fat absorption, which may promote weight loss. The same results were also shown in animal studies.

However, some earlier research was inconclusive about the impact of resistant starch on weight loss goals. So while the most recent research is promising, more is needed to make sweeping claims about starch strength and weight loss.

Is cooled and reheated rice healthier?

Yes. If properly cooled and stored, reheated cooked white rice may be healthier than freshly cooked rice.

“You get a double benefit. …Not only are you cutting out some of the carbs so your blood sugar doesn’t rise as quickly, (but) you now have that resistant starch that works like fiber to feed the good bacteria in the gut,” says Derocha .

Largeman-Roth adds: “It also means you’ll likely feel fuller from cooked and cooled starchy foods.” »

A few research also suggests that resistant starches may help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in some people.

While increasing resistant starch in the diet can be beneficial for everyone, Derocha says this tip can be helpful for people who regularly eat white rice but also need to watch their carb intake or diet. blood sugar because it reduces the amount and speed at which white rice. raises a person’s blood sugar. Derocha, who is Filipino-American, adds that her family has been using this hack “forever.”

A 2017 study by New Zealand researchers published in the journal Nutrients showed that reheating cooked and cooled rice can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes in the long term.

THE 2015 Indonesia study also concluded that white rice cooled for 24 hours and reheated can be recommended to diabetic patients as part of their daily diet.

“More studies need to be done to fully determine the health benefits; However, lowering blood sugar and increasing nourishment for healthy gut microbes is likely to have health benefits,” says Cockburn.

Either way, experts emphasize that people with diabetes should talk to their doctor and carefully monitor their carbohydrate intake and blood sugar levels.

Freshly cooked white rice can also be part of a healthy diet in moderation, experts note. “But if you’re trying to reduce your calorie intake and don’t mind the flavor or texture of reheated rice, go for it,” says Largeman-Roth.

Derocha also recommends pairing rice with other foods that provide fiber, protein and micronutrients, such as beans, fish, tofu, leafy greens, squash and other vegetables.

Disadvantages of Cooled and Reheated Rice

Cooling and reheating rice has some drawbacks, experts note. First, it can compromise flavor and texture. “I think freshly cooked rice will always taste the best,” says Largeman-Roth.

Common mistakes when storing leftover rice can also increase the risk of food poisoning. Bacteria such as Bacillus cereus thrive in cooked starchy foods, such as rice, and multiply rapidly when improperly cooled or left at room temperature. This is why B. cereus food poisoning is often called “fried rice syndrome“.

Always refrigerate cooked rice within two hours and make sure the refrigerator is set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. “Don’t put the entire hot rice cooker in the refrigerator…put it in shallow containers so it cools faster,” says Derocha. And reheat the rice until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA.

In general, try to keep cooked foods out of the “danger zone” from 40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. After about three or four days, leftover rice should be thrown away. You can also store cooked rice in the freezer, which lasts longer.