If you like eating rice and still concerned about your diet, you will surely love to hear the good news! A new research suggests that eating more rice averts obesity.

The research team from Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts came up with a study that eating rice is possible to fight obesity. This study was submitted during the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland. Based on the analysis, people who include rice in their diet plan have lower chances of getting obese than those who live in countries with low rice consumption. However, it is still uncertain how rice affects obesity.

Researchers collected data about a person’s rice consumption per day in terms of grams and calories in more than 100 countries. They also added the data on body mass index. The team found out that in the UK, an average person eats 19 grams of rice per day, much lower than in other countries like Canada, Spain, and the US. Still, they concluded that even if a person eats 50 grams of rice every day, the number of obese adults can decrease from 650 million to 643.5 million.

The lead researcher, Professor Tomoko Imai said “It’s possible that the fiber, nutrients and plant compounds found in whole grains may increase feelings of fullness and prevent overeating.” This only proves that rice is a good source of energy and is highly recommended to include in our diet, different from the belief that rice can make you gain weight.