When see advertisements of rice on TV, they flaunt how white and shiny the rice looks. This is nothing to celebrate. The whiteness of the grain tells you how much goodness you have scrubbed off the grain.
Most people eat it because they are simply used to it. But when you think about it, it is such a pointless exercise – you take rice, carefully scrape off all it’s nutrition, and then you eat it. Later, you pay big money to the vendors to sell you tablets which were made from the scraped off nutrition, to fix your health. Is it worth it?
The Nutrition
The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer i.e. the hull of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, 50% of manganese, 50% of phosphorus, 60% of iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Brown rice as an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium.
The nutrients that brown rice contains are:
- Manganese-energy production plus antioxidant protection
- Rich in fiber and selenium
- Phyto nutrients with health-promoting activity equal to or even higher than that of vegetables and fruits
Benefits of eating Brown Rice:
Good for weight loss
White rice just makes a sticky mess inside your digestive tract because it is refined. Brown rice on the other hand, provides your body fiber, to smooth out the movement in the tract. This means better digestion and thereby lower weight.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Multiple studies have shown that brown rice can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It is also proven that brown rice helps to maintain normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The lignans in brown rice also protect again heart disease. It also reduces the risk of heart attach and stroke.
Reduces Type 2 Diabetes
Studies conducted in India showed that substituting white rice with brown rice for daily consumption helped significantly reduce glucose levels and lower serum insulin. This single change in food habit led to a 20% reduction in glucose levels and 60% reduction in the fasting insulin concentration.
Other Health Benefits
- Protective against breast cancer
- Reduces risk of metabolic syndrome
- Reduces the severity of asthma
- Reduces frequency of migraine headaches
- Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke