Brown rice is simply white rice that has not had the brown-colored bran covering removed. So brown rice is considered a whole grain. The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. Since brown rice still has the bran intact, it has more fiber than white rice. Most people prefer white rice since it is fluffier and cooks faster than brown. It has three times the fiber of white rice.
Health Benefits of Brown Rice :
- Provides all necessary carbohydrates requirements.
- Rich in fibers.
- Helps control blood sugar.
- Helps control cholesterol.
- It is a body building food.
- Beneficial for stomach and intestinal ulcers and for diarrhea. It is easily digested starch food.
- Because of the mineral content, it supplies important nutrient for the hair, teeth, nails, muscles and bones.
Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese, and zinc. White rice has reduced levels of these nutrients, but if the fortified variety is more nutritious than plain white rice.
Brown Rice is a good source of several nutrients such as riboflavin, folate, iron and manganese. It has three times the fibre of white polished rice . Brown rice has the advantage of having more fibre, which is probably a bigger health benefit than the fortified vitamins, since our diet tends to be more deficient in fibre than in the vitamins white rice is fortified with.
BROWN RICE.
In my school days, I remember having revolted when my mother used to come to me with a plate of cooked Brown rice and curry. I never used to like the smell coming from the cooked rice.This happened when I was very young.. Now, when I have turned out to be responsible and sensible, I have realised that brown rice has more than enough to offer to human health and wellbeing. My mother knew this long long ago, the health properties of brown rice !!!.
It is said that great ingredients kept in the kitchen shelf make great and royal meals. One such item to be in the kitchen shelf is brown rice .It is not at all different from ordinary rice. You can call it as a natural form of rice, because the brown outer layer called as bran has not been removed, whereas white rice is well polished removing totally the bran and killing all the health properties of rice. The layer of bran, the outer coating on rice , is high in fiber and other nutrients.
The cooked brown rice has a peculiar lovely flavour which makes it appealing to many. Cooking is done by just steaming it and no other method need be used which can rob all the flavour and nutrients of rice. Apart from consuming it as a part of daily diet, brown rice is used for a special preparation with milk and sugar, called as Kheer in North India and Payasa in South India, a speciality on festival days.
The health benefits of Brown rice run like a monthly provisions store list, like lowering cholesterol, reducing risks of diabetes, heart diseases, heart attack,stroke,colon cancer etc. Even severity of asthma is controlled.
Further, brown rice contains vital nutrients such as manganese to help weight loss,
lowers cholesterol, has Selenium which fights with free radicals, is rich in Magnesiun, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. Regular consumption of brown rice also reduces risk of gallstones. It also has Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and vitamin E.Brown rice also acts as a powerful cleanser with the same effect of Psylluim husk cleaning the colon.
Packed with such multiple nutrients and values, this whole grain should be one’s best bet and a daily choice for diet.
White rice is so popular because it is cheaper, cooks faster, and is fluffier than brown rice. Sadly, this means that most people miss out on a real powerhouse of nutrients,simply looking at the colour of cooked white rice.. One may have difficulty in switching over to Brown rice from White rice in a single day, but looking to the richness ot brown rice from health point of view one should adopt this Nature’s gift
As every knows food is one of the main cause for majority of health problems and by eating the right food, all these could be reversed or avoided. This may look illogical when said, but please give a trial to this old saying for three to four months with Brown rice and see how the health is.