Rice Nutrition

Rice is the most popular food staple around the world. Many parts of the world count on this grain to help them thrive. Originating in ancient China, rice is the seed, or grain, of this ancient plant.

When shopping for rice you’ll find different lengths and colours, and some are more processed than others. The main two varieties though are brown rice and white rice. Brown rice is the whole grain option. It contains three main parts:

Bran: The outer fibrous wall of the seed that contains trace minerals and important B vitamins.

Endosperm: The main core of the grain, made up of carbohydrates and proteins.

Germ: A small nutrient-dense core filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and fats.

White rice is just the endosperm of the seed. The bran and the germ are removed, making it softer and easier to digest, but you’re also removing the bulk of the nutrients found in the seed. Brown rice has significantly more dietary fibre, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium. Here’s a look at the added benefits from brown rice nutrition.

 

Dietary Fibre:

There is some fibre in the endosperm of rice, but the majority is found in the bran. Fibre plays an important part in the digestive process. It helps the body process waste and prevents food waste and toxins from spending excessive time in the gut. More than that, fibre is ideal for maintaining a healthy weight. Fibre helps keep you feeling full and prevent cravings. Choosing fibre rich foods has shown to decrease the chances of weight gain.

 

Thiamin:

Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential vitamin found in grains, fish, and meat. Proper energy metabolism, and the growth, development, and functions of cells need thiamin, making it vital for life.

 

Niacin:

Vitamin B3 (niacin) aids the body to convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into fuel. It also helps the adrenal gland produce sex and stress-related hormones, as well as improve circulation and fight inflammation. It is used to help treat and prevent many health conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and heart disease.

 

Vitamin B6:

Several metabolic functions need vitamin B6. Your body uses it to metabolize glucose, amino acids, and lipids. It helps separate useful energy from waste, and is an important part of recovery, burning fat, and maintaining proper energy levels.

 

Iron:

Iron is an important mineral for growth and development. It’s used to make hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells needed to carry oxygen to the body), and myoglobin (the red blood cell protein that carries oxygen to muscles). Iron is also used to produce connective tissues and hormones.

A lack of iron will mean less oxygen is getting to the body, resulting in fatigue, poor memory and concentration, paleness, headaches, inflammation, chest pain, and poor appetite.

 

Magnesium:

Magnesium is a must have mineral. It is needed for transcription of DNA and RNA. Magnesium deficiency can lead to headaches, muscle cramps, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression, and many more serious health concerns.

 

Phosphorus:

Phosphorus works with calcium to produce strong bones and teeth. It also helps filter waste from the kidneys, plus it helps repair tissue and aids in post-workout recovery. It is the second most abundant mineral in the human body, so it should be no surprise that it is used for so much. That also means that it is important to get healthy sources of phosphorus in your diet.

 

Manganese:

Manganese is common in plant-based foods, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. The body uses manganese as an antioxidant. Manganese antioxidants help protect the body from oxidative stress. In fact, when enzymatic antioxidants fail to protect you from oxidative stress completely, manganese antioxidants can pick up the slack and protect cells from reactive oxygen species. This mineral is unique in this regard. By picking up the slack, the aging process slows, and overall deterioration of the body.

 

Selenium:

This mineral has antioxidant properties, preventing oxidative stress. It reduces DNA damage, helps protect against heart disease, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. It also supports normal reproduction. Be careful not to get too much as selenium toxicity has many dangerous side effects.

This mineral has antioxidant properties, preventing oxidative stress. It reduces DNA damage, helps protect against heart disease, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. It also supports normal reproduction. Be careful not to get too much as selenium toxicity has many dangerous side effects.

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Note: Despite these benefits, brown rice contains substantially higher levels of omega-6, which if not balanced with omega-3 could lead to inflammation. However, overall brown rice is the way to go for optimum health.