Rice is healthy! Nutritional Benefits Of Rice

Friday, February 1, 2013, 13:01

Do you love eating rice but scared about the health quotient? It would not be shocking to accept that nutritional benefits of rice have broken the common belief that rice is not healthy and is only good for increasing your belly.

Rice is healthy! Benefits of rice are numerous as it is a good source of proteins, vitamin D calcium, phosphorous, fiber and iron. But many customers prefer cosmetic rice in daily life as they are free from germs and bacterias and close their eyes when it comes to health.

Different types of rice like the very beneficial brown rice, red rice and black rice are packed with nutritional benefits. Following are the details of rice benefits in terms of nutrition.

Brown Rice: This is an unpolished rice which has a brownish layer over it known as bran. Nutritional benefits of brown rice is that it is rich in Thiamine (vitamin B), niacin, Vitamin B6 and K, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, carbohydrates and proteins which helps control blood sugar and cholesterol. The rice is rich in fibers, and is an easily digested starch food. Its mineral content supplies nutrients for the hair, teeth, nails, muscles and bones thus making it a body building food. It is also beneficial for curing diarrhea and stomach or intestinal ulcers.

Black Rice: Also known as 'Forbidden Rice' in China, black rice also has the bran cover which is removed to make white rice. Black rice is rich in iron, fiber, antioxidants and anthorcyanin (a cancer fighting agent). These nutrients protects the body from heart diseases and improves memory. The noir colored food is low in sugar and its higher concentration of anthorcyanin makes the antioxidants have great affect on the body than other oil soluble antioxidants like brown rice. Therefore, a nice nutritional benefit for the body.

Red Rice: Red yeast rice, another name of red rice is an inexpensive herbal remedy against the expensive medicines. It is made by growing red yeast on white rice and then powdering it. This rice has been used in China as a traditional medicine for centuries to cure ailments such as digestive problems, circulatory problems to high cholesterol level control and triglycerides in the blood. Red rice contains monacolins (naturally occurring statins) which are known to limit cholesterol synthesis. Lovastatin, a content of yeast rice is used in pharmaceutical drugs. Health-wise it has been used as a remedy to lowers cholesterol; LDL levels and triglyceride levels. Few people consider it as a strong pharmaceutical drug so doctors advise before consuming it, will be good. Even pregnant or breast feeding women should not consume red rice.

Rice should be soaked in water for 25-30 minutes before boiling it as this process is necessary to soften the bran layer on the rice seed. It sustains the nutritional benefits of the rice. The ratio of rice to water is 1:2 (1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water).