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Why No Rice in GAPS?
Rice is often assumed to be a safe, neutral food — gluten-free, easy to digest, gentle on the stomach. The GAPS protocol excludes it anyway. There are two distinct reasons: what rice does to insulin levels, and what it does to a damaged gut. Both matter.
Rice, Insulin Resistance & the Bigger Picture
White rice has a glycaemic index of 64–72, placing it firmly in the high-GI category. Eaten regularly, it produces a significant and rapid insulin response — blood glucose rises sharply, the pancreas releases insulin to bring it back down, and the cycle repeats at the next meal.
| Food | Glycaemic Index | Insulin Impact |
|---|---|---|
| White rice (cooked) | 64–72 | High — rapid blood glucose spike |
| White bread | 70–75 | High — similar to white rice |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 50–55 | Moderate — marginally lower but still significant |
| Non-starchy vegetables | 10–35 | Low — minimal insulin response |
| Bone broth | <5 | Negligible — no meaningful insulin stimulus |
Done occasionally, a glucose and insulin rise is normal physiology. Done at most meals, every day over years, it contributes to chronic hyperinsulinaemia — the pattern that underpins insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance — the condition in which cells stop responding properly to insulin, forcing the pancreas to produce more and more of it — is now recognised as the upstream driver of most of the chronic diseases that dominate Western medicine: hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, MASLD (fatty liver), Alzheimer's disease, and many others.
Brown rice is often presented as the healthier alternative. While its glycaemic index is marginally lower (50–55 vs 64–72), it still produces a significant insulin response. For anyone with existing insulin resistance, the difference is not clinically meaningful. Both are excluded from GAPS for good reason.
Many people who come to the GAPS protocol already have some degree of insulin resistance — often without knowing it. By removing rice and all starchy grains, GAPS removes the chronic dietary insulin stimulus at the same time as it addresses gut health. The two goals reinforce each other.
The foods GAPS replaces rice with — bone broth, meats, eggs, non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, and fermented foods — are not just better for the gut. They produce a minimal insulin response, supporting metabolic health and gut healing simultaneously.
The GAPS Protocol Reasons
The GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome), developed by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, aims to repair the gut wall, rebalance gut bacteria, and reduce systemic inflammation. Rice is excluded from all phases for four interconnected reasons:
Starch Feeds the Wrong Bacteria
Rice is primarily starch. In a gut with dysbiosis, starch is preferentially fermented by harmful bacteria and yeast — feeding the very overgrowths GAPS aims to eliminate.
A Damaged Gut Cannot Break It Down
A compromised gut lining lacks the enzymes to digest complex carbohydrates efficiently. Partially digested starch reaches the lower gut intact, worsening bacterial imbalance and inflammation.
GAPS Prioritises Nutrient Density
Bone broth, meats, and non-starchy vegetables provide concentrated vitamins, minerals, collagen, and beneficial bacteria essential for gut wall repair. Rice offers calories but minimal healing nutrition.
The Protocol Requires a Clean Baseline
Especially in the introductory phases, GAPS removes every food that could slow healing. Rice, while not the worst offender, is starchy enough to disrupt the conditions needed for gut wall restoration.