Living-Smartly.com – Being Wise, Healthy and Financially Sufficient

Brown Rice Keeps You Away From Obesity, Diabetes and Cancer


Earlier (for thousands of years), everyone used to eat brown rice until the invention of processing machine for white rice. People started using white rice because it is tasty, can be stored for longer time than brown rice, and more over it takes less time to cook. Though white rice is popular, it has its own disadvantages.

Disadvantages of white rice

  • White rice is digested quickly, that is, it breaks down into glucose quickly causing drastic reaction with insulin, so it is not suggested for diabetic patients. Besides, White rice has high value of Glycemic index (70), when it is consumed in more quantities it causes diabetes.
  • It has low nutritional value.

When people started using white rice in 1897, it was found that, consuming white rice is the main reason for cause of deadly disease beriberi, due to lack of vitamin B1 in white rice, which is removed during processing. So Government of America, compelled companies to retain back naturally occurring vitamins (during processing) in white rice in order to obtain enriched rice (but no nutrients that has fiber).

Brown rice

Brown rice is, rice which is hulled (the covering husk is removed) leaving the outer layer of the bran on the grain. Brown rice contains all the edible parts of rice. At present, the cost of brown rice is very high as all the factories need to replace machinery to make (process) brown rice as all them are preoccupied with equipment to process only white rice.

Difference between brown rice and white rice and parboiled rice

  • Brown Rice: Rice undergoes variety of processes before it gets ready for cooking. After harvesting, seeds are rolled through huller/husker for milling to remove outer grain husk. After this process, brown rice is ready. It is easy and simple.
  • White rice: To get white rice from brown rice, the inner part of grain, germ and the inner covering of grain, husk (bran) are removed, then grain is polished with glucose or talc. The complete pounding and polishing (refining) that takes place to convert brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.
  • Parboiled rice: Parboiled rice is another type of rice obtained by a process of soaking, which is followed by pressure steaming and then drying of paddy form of rice. This process is carried out before milling. The rice obtains light yellow color. It has 80% of nutrients of brown rice.

Benefits of Brown rice


  • It has more nutrients compared to white rice because of the presence of bran layer. This layer has digestible fiber along with minerals and vitamins that are absent in white rice.
  • Brown rice is rich in manganese and provide 88% daily value of manganese. Manganese used in producing energy and Antioxidant protection.
  • As brown rice is good source of fiber and selenium, it helps in prevention of cancer.
  • Daily intake of brown rice reduces the cholesterol.
  • A study published in the July 2004 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that taking brown rice is helpful for women to prevent` gallstones, as it has insoluble fiber.
  • Brown rice is the complete source, which has one of the most essential amino acid present in any vegetarian food.
  • Vital vitamin E components and many valuable nutrients are present in brown rice.

Brown rice should not be treated as farmer’s food or animal feed because it has many nutritional values. However, white rice is easy to cook and looks pleasant but it is not suggested for good health. It is better to switch back to brown rice to avoid the biggest killers of present generation such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer to have healthier and longer life.

You may also like to read:
Lose Weight and Control Diabetes Using Low Glycemic Index (GI) Foods
Impact of Diabetes on a Person’s Health

4 thoughts on “Brown Rice Keeps You Away From Obesity, Diabetes and Cancer

  • March 29, 2010 at 10:47 pm
    Permalink

    HEALTH – Your Most Precious Asset…… a book written by Rev. Benita Francis is also a very interesting book that teaches about the benefits of Brown Rice and the deadly dangers of white rice, white sugar and white wheat. I strongly recommend this book as a must read and strictlly follow to all.

    Be Blessed!

    Joyce

  • March 29, 2010 at 10:50 pm
    Permalink

    If only some one could tell me where in Mumbai I can find Brown Rice and what’s the cost of it…Thanks

  • July 30, 2011 at 11:50 am
    Permalink

    Brown Basmati rice is better than other kinds of brown rice. Basmati rice has low glycemic index takes longer to digest and hence after eating brown basmatic rice its effect on increasing blood sugar is lower. I especially like it because it tastes a lot better (and aromatic too) than regular brown rice.

  • May 13, 2013 at 3:16 am
    Permalink

    Great web site. A lot of helpful info here.

Comments are closed.