The Benefits of Brown Rice

One of the secrets about nutrition is to eat food as close to its natural form as possible. For example, nutritionists would advise you to eat raw vegetable salads and take plenty of fresh fruits with the pulp, or to juice the fruits at home instead of buying pre-processed fruit juices from grocery stores; the Japanese are known for their diet comprising plenty of raw food and generally they are in much better health shape than those in other developed nations; when it comes to tea, green tea is better than black because the former is the least processed and retains most of its natural antioxidants.

In the same logic, brown rice (whole grain) is more nutritious than white rice (refined grain). After rice is harvested, the tough outer-most layer (the hull) is removed from each grain, revealing the brown grain underneath. Nature has it that every grain would contain vitamin B complex, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, iron, fiber and essential fatty acid. These nutrients aid our body in the production of energy, blood cells, connective tissues, hormones, aid in calcium absorption, blood-sugar regulation, fat metabolism and maintain healthy nervous system. These nutrients are found typically on the surface of the brown grain. Therefore, brown rice is probably as close to nature's creation as you can get.

Unfortunately, brown rice has a shorter shelf life, prompting manufacturers to further process the brown grains into white rice. The process involves polishing (stripping) away the surface layer of the brown grains. As each layer is stripped away, so goes the nutrients along with it; as much as 60% to 90% of the original nutrients is lost as a result of the polishing process. To improve the nutritional value, manufacturers are required by the FDA to enrich the white rice with vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, not all of the nutrients in the grains can be synthetically replaced.

Isn't it a paradox that the industry would go through such a trouble of stripping away and replacing nutrients back on each grain, and yet charge consumers more for brown rice? Well, this is due to economics - the demand and supply. In the past, brown rice is typically consumed by the poor and the sick, while the more affluent would prefer white rice for better taste and fragrance. This traditionally denigrated brown rice is now more expensive than common white rice because of low consumption demand, difficulty of storage and transport, and higher nutritional value.

Nevertheless, there is a long list of goodness associated with brown rice. Beside being nutritious, brown rice contains natural antioxidants; it is less constipating than white rice, hence suitable for those with weak stomach. Brown rice would also help the female to maintain their body weight, according to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School on 74,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years over a 12 year period. Females who consumed refined grains (such as white rice) has a higher chance of putting on weight compared to those who consumed whole grains (like brown rice). This is probably due to the higher fiber content in whole grains. Finally, a diet high in fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol, so those who are concerned about their cholesterol should increase their intake of brown rice as well as whole grain products.

More tips to come.

Nancy

This article is a part of the Cholesterol Diet Secrets mini course.