It does look unhealthy because of its brown unrefined appearance, but when it comes to the goodness of natural nutrients, brown rice is the undisputed winner. According to a study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, brown rice is the top choice in terms of both nutritional and other inherent health benefits. In simple terms, brown rice is unprocessed white rice. Brown Rice, unlike white rice, still has the side hull and bran. The side hulls and brans provide natural wholeness to the grain and are rich in proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium.
- Brown rice is a wonder food when it comes to fighting or preventing diabetes: Replacing 50 grams of white rice with the same amount of brown rice can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. For those trying to lose weight or those suffering from diabetes, brown rice can prove a healthful staple given its low glycemic rating which helps reduce insulin spikes.
- 2. Brown Rice helps lower the harmful LDL cholesterol level: While processing brown rice when the bran layer is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed. Interestingly, it has been found that adding rice bran oil to the diet can lower the LDL cholesterol level by about seven percent. Rice bran oil has gamma-oryzanol, a compound which also lowers LDL cholesterol. So naturally, brown rice is definitely a prudent choice over white rice.
- Brown rice makes for delicious and nutritious baby food: Brown rice cereal or brown rice it is the perfect baby’s first food due to the dense natural nutrition and fiber it contains. Also, it is easily digestible and doesn't not contain any artificial nutrition enhancers that white rice mostly contains.
- 4. Brown rice helps in maintaining weight: Brown rice is generously bestowed with the goodness of manganese. It takes just one cup of brown rice to fulfil about 80% of our daily manganese requirements. Manganese helps the body synthesize fats and thus helps in maintaining health and weight. Manganese is also extremely beneficial for our nervous and reproductive systems.
- Brown rice is rich with antioxidants: Cereals are usually not a great source of antioxidants. Popular sources of antioxidants include blueberries, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables. However, it is interesting to note that the richness of antioxidants in brown rice is similar to the level found in these berries and other fruits and vegetables.
- Brown rice works towards preventing Alzheimer’s: Researchers discovered through experiments that brown rice consumption reduced learning and memory deficits caused by beta-amyloid protein, one of the main contributors to Alzheimer’s dementia.
- Brown rice prevents various types of cancers: Brown rice is high in fiber and on top of the list of foods that can help prevent colon cancer. This can be attributed to the high levels of fiber naturally contained in brown rice. These fibers attach to substances that cause cancer as well as toxins in the body, thus eliminating them and keeping them from attaching to the colon wall. Brown rice has plant lignins which help build healthy gut flora credited with protecting against breast and other hormone dependent cancers.
- Brown rice is rich in Naturally-Occurring Oils: Not all fats are harmful for our body. In fact, our body does need some amount of fats to control the cholesterol level. Naturally occurring oils that brown rice is enriched with, are beneficial for the body as these natural fats help normalize cholesterol levels.
Along with all these nutritional benefits, brown rice tastes as good as white rice and can be cooked in different styles along with various dishes. It is much more healthy and nutritious than white rice and is also less processed which means that essential nutrients are preserved in brown rice, unlike white rice.
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