New Strains of Rice May Help Fight China's Diabetes Scourge
- Scientists hunt for new strains that avoid raising blood-sugar
- Diabetes risks afflicting 151 million people in China by 2040
Samples of rice that Professor Li Jianyue of Shanghai Normal University has developed photographed in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday 10 May, 2017.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
With a stack of small, brown envelopes in hand, Li Jianyue trudges through a rice field in southern China to gather grain specimens she hopes might one day fight diabetes.
The obesity-linked disease is on a tear in China, and rice -- the country’s favorite staple -- is showing up in studies as an important contributor. The black kernels Li pinches off mature stalks with her fingers and drops into paper sachets have been bred to avoid causing the high spikes in blood-sugar when eaten that can eventually lead to type-2 diabetes.