A Korean research team has cultivated a new strain of rice containing highly concentrated Cyanidin-3-Glucoside or C3G which is known to ease symptoms of atopic dermatitis and diabetes.

"The rice is cultivated by traditional methods and not genetically modified, so it doesn't have any stability problems as a food product," said Ryu Su-noh, a professor of agricultural science at Korea National Open University.

Clinical tests on rats showed that the new strain has about 10 times more C3G than in ordinary black rice. The test also showed that the rice reduces itching by about 70 percent while reducing sugar levels and increasing insulin levels in the blood just as effectively as conventional treatments.

Kim Dong-hyeon, a professor of pharmaceutical science at Kyung Hee University said, "We tested the effects of constraining inflammation or itchy symptoms, and the effect of the rice was much greater than normal rice."

The team plans to register the rice at the Korea Seed and Variety Service next year. Incomes for farmers are expected to increase once mass production of the rice begins.