There are many misconceptions and doubts regarding eating rice. People are not sure which kind of rice
is best for them or even if rice is good at all to be consumed on a daily basis. Some even end up giving up
on rice completely and switching to a wheat or millet diet.
Rice has been the staple food in south India over ages and so the body is accustomed to having a rice-
based diet. Rice also is required for the release of the happy hormones in their brain. The blood-brain
barrier in the brain is broken depending on the carbohydrates that we eat and it is done by rice in case
of people who are accustomed to having rice since childhood.
Stopping rice completely may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiency. Also, complaints like lack of
happiness, lack of sleep, and unreasonable anger, etc. may be seen. Hence limiting the intake of rice
would be the better option than stopping it completely to control obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes,
arthritis etc.
There are around 40000 varieties of rice across the world. Red rice, which is the rice with bran, is the
best variety of rice to consume as it has a very low glycemic index (amount of calorie that a fixed
amount of food produces in our body in a fixed time). Food that has high glycemic index will increase the
blood sugar rapidly after eating it and in turn may lead to the aggravation in diabetes and cholesterol
levels. This may also cause inflammations like arthritis in the body. Hence foods with low glycemic index
must be consumed. The glycemic index of white rice is around 80 to 93, whereas that of red rice is 52 to
58 with an average of 55. So, it would be digested and absorbed slowly and would not result in quick
weight gain or rapid increase in blood sugar. The calories provided by red rice are 144 calories per 100 g
whereas that of white rice is 155 calories. It also has a high satiety value due to the fiber and so we
would not feel hungry frequently after eating red rice.
The bran that covers this rice contains minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and selenium
and vitamin B complex which is almost three times more than that in white rice. The bran in red rice
absorbs the acid in the stomach to a large extent and this helps to reduce the problems like acidity and
indigestion. It also absorbs water and swells up in the stomach thereby filling up with even small
quantities of food. The red color of the bran of red rice is due to the antioxidant called anthocyanin
which improves the immunity of the body and helps to reduce the inflammations of the body. So, the
people who have a tendency to arthritis and inflammations, must eat this red rice. The soup of this rice
is blood red in color and has high concentration of potassium, selenium and magnesium and is very
refreshing especially on hot summer days. High concentration of minerals helps with autoimmune
diseases like asthma, allergy, sneezing etc.
Due to the fibers present, indigestion and gastritis are prevented by consumption of red rice. The bran
does not digest completely in our stomach, moves to the intestine and works as a probiotic that
promotes the growth of beneficial bacterial flora in the intestines. Also, it has the capacity to maintain
the enzymes like leptin and ghrelin that control the hunger and satiety.
This rice needs to be washed and soaked in water for an hour to remove the mud, dirt and the organic
arsenic that enters it from the soil. It will require 4 times it’s quantity of water to cook and the excess
water may be drained off after the rice is cooked. The red rice may be also used to prepare other rice-
based breakfast and lunch recipes, although there might be slight discoloration of the foods.
The consumption of this rice will help to prevent or control the varied kinds of lifestyle diseases that are
prevalent during the current times. So, instead of avoiding rice completely, switching to red rice would
be a wise move.