An interesting statement from an endocrinologist.
Is he referring just to rice or to all complex carbohydrates?
Just rice. For some reason, it retains vitamins and proteins in other foods eaten along with it, allowing for them to be absorbed more efficiently. He says that in my case, he thinks I have celiac disease (there's a family history, and I have some symptoms, although every test I have had for it has come up negative), and that I can't properly absorb nutrients when I eat foods with wheat or other gluten products, so it was more noticeable when I shifted to a principally rice-based diet.