The whole-grain truth about rice; reducing pediatric gun deaths
Q: I love rice, but I am afraid it's not so good for me - kind of the white bread of grains, my wife tells me. What's the real story? - George G., Monroe, Louisiana
A: She's mostly right, George. Amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulger, corn, farro, freekeh, millet, oats, quinoa (really a grass), rye, sorghum, spelt, teff, triticale, wheat and wild rice - all are whole grains. Some, like freekeh, are freaky sounding; others are more familiar, like oats and barley. But what they have in common is that they retain the highly fibrous and nutrition-packed parts of the grain: bran, germ and endosperm. White rice (as well as white bread and standard pastas) retains only the starchy endosperm, making it nutrition-poor and much more likely to spike your blood sugar and contribute to weight gain.
But not all whole grains are created equal. For example, 1.5 ounces of freekeh has 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein; quinoa has 3 and 5.5, respectively. And a review of 45 studies on whole grains found that neither white nor brown rice reduced your risk of stroke, heart disease or cancer, unlike the heart-protective powers of 100 percent whole wheat.
That said, brown rice is healthier for you than white rice; it delivers fiber, thiamine, vitamins B-6 and E, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and manganese. A meta-analysis of 16 studies found a 32 percent reduction in the risk for Type 2 diabetes from eating three servings of whole grains, including brown rice, daily.
The bottom line: If you're eating rice, make it brown rice. But don't make it your main grain. Experiment with the flavors of those freekeh and not-so-freaky grains listed up top, and check out "Super Grains You Should Be Eating" at DoctorOz.com.
Q: The amount of gun violence in this country gets more frightening every day. Young children are frequently victims! What's going on and what can we do about it? - Jayne G., Lincoln, Nebraska
A: The latest heartbreaking tale of the death of a child from firearms is, as of this writing, about a 3-year-old boy in Indiana who found a loaded semiautomatic rifle and shot himself in the face. That comes two weeks after a 2-year-old boy in Louisiana grabbed a gun from a kitchen counter and killed himself.
Each and every year from 2002 to 2014, nearly 1,300 children up to age 17 died, while 5,790 were treated for gunshot wounds, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. And from 2014 to 2015, Stanford University researchers say there were 2,715 pediatric firearm fatalities. A new Johns Hopkins study says the cost exceeds $270 million annually for emergency room and hospital treatment of youngsters who've been shot.
How does this happen? A study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2018 National Conference found that around one in three children live in homes with a firearm. And only 34 percent of parents stored their gun locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition.
On top of that, parents often fail to ask about firearm storage in homes where their children spend time. (Both the 2- and 3-year-old who shot themselves were not at home.)
In addition, most parents assume kids can tell the difference between a toy gun and a real one. But researchers from Emory University School of Medicine say that in their test, only 41 percent of children 7 to 17 identified both correctly.
What can be done?
- Establish responsible gun laws. Stanford Medical School researchers found that there are twice as many pediatric firearm deaths in states with the most lenient gun regulations compared with states where gun laws are strictest.
- Lock away guns, and secure ammunition separately.
- Parents, always inquire if there's a gun where your child will be spending time and how it's secured. If it's not, politely get your kid and leave.
- And the 66 percent of Americans who favor stricter gun-safety legislation, let your representatives know.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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