Asian mom’s viral hack cuts calories from rice and bread, reduces colon cancer risk

A TikTok cook Linda (@mamalindacooks) has suggested an easy trick to cut carbs and calories from starchy foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, and oats. Sharing her “Asian mom secret”, Linda explained how the hack could cut up to 50% of carbs and calorie absorption from rice.
Dr. Karan Rangarajan has backed up her claim saying this isn’t myth, but there is a science behind it that not only helps cut calories from these foods but can also cut colon cancer risk.
“If you love rice and you love leftovers, this is gonna be your favorite food science hack,” he said on social media.
“Pretty much any leftovers that contain carbs — rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, legumes, oats — when you cook it and then you cool it or freeze it and then reheat it, it will now magically contain fewer calories.”

This not only means you get to enjoy your leftovers without any guilt, but also with much less calories as well as with lower GI, making it beneficial for people with diabetes.

Studies have proved that cooling high-starch foods such as rice, potato, pasta and bread could convert the digestible starch into resistant starch which in turn provides health benefits to the body.
Consumption of rice subjected to the cooling process results in a lower increase of postprandial blood glucose in subjects with type 1 diabetes, says a study published in Nutrition and Diabetes journal.

Resistant starch cannot be broken by the body but it acts as a prebiotic and feeds the gut flora, making our digestion better. This chemical process is called retrogradation.

Rajan said that the resistant starch improves bowel movements and stool bulk which could reduce risk of colon cancer
Rajan explained that after being cooled and reheated, many of the starches in carb-rich foods become resistant to digestion in the small intestine and move to the colon, where gut bacteria can ferment them.
“Those carb-y leftovers become a wannabe fiber, aka prebiotics. They feed beneficial bacterial species like bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus,” he said.
Resistant starch not only prevents blood sugar spikes, it also promotes feeling of satiety and aids in portion control and weight management.

Beware of this infection

It is important to reheat your food carefully. If not heated at a desirable temperature, the spores of the common bacterium Bacillus cereus in rice, may release toxins that can cause food-borne illnesses like diarrhea and vomiting. This is also known as fried rice syndrome.
While it isn’t severe, it can turn fatal for immunocompromised people and in rare cases, can lead to liver failure.
Bacterial growth can happen when you don’t refrigerate rice soon after cooking or keep it in the fridge for too long or do not heat it at the right temperature.

How to follow the hack

Cook the rice over high heat as the ideal temperature for Bacillus cereus to thrive is between 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considered risky. Thereafter, don’t leave the rice at room temperature for more than two hours or more than an hour at warmer temperatures. Store it in a sealed container and put it in the fridge. Use it within 3-4 days.