Rice has been an essential ingredient in Indian as well as Asian cuisine. There are over 40,000 varieties of rice available in the world that has been an integral part of different cultures and cuisines.
Among the varieties, brown rice is the healthiest as it’s a whole grain you are including in your diet. Thus, less processed grain means more nutrition added to your diet.
But before you switch to it, you should know the benefits of brown rice, its nutrition as well as the side effects. So, let’s get started.
11 Health Benefits of Brown Rice
Brown rice is more beneficial than white rice as bran and germ, the two outer layers of brown rice get removed while preparing white rice. These outer layers bring most of the vitamins and minerals with the grain and brown rice is loaded with every one of them.
So, why should you switch to brown rice? Let’s take a look at some of the health benefits of brown rice.
1. Brown Rice Benefits for Weight Loss
If you are trying to get rid of somebody’s mass and lose weight, then it’s time to choose brown rice over white rice.
The ample amount of fiber in brown rice helps you feel fuller than usual. Thus, making it easy to control portions and manage weight more easily. Besides, it helps you to take fewer calories as well.
2. Brown Rice for Diabetes Management
One of the most important benefits of brown rice over white rice is its ability to control your blood sugar level. It is crucial to include low carbohydrates and fats in your diet to keep your blood sugar level in check.
In fact, being an ingredient with a low glycemic index (GI), brown rice doesn’t cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar after you eat. According to the researchers, eating three servings per day of whole grains like brown rice can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes significantly.
3. Potent Neuroprotective Actions
High cholesterol diets may have been known to add to the risk of neurodegenerative disorders and impair cognitive performance. This rice may help cut down on cholesterol by replacing it with healthier nutrients such as fiber. Therefore, it might have some neuroprotective actions.
4. Brown Rice Good for Healthy Heart
Being loaded with dietary fiber, brown rice can reduce the risk of heart diseases. In addition to that, it also comes with high levels of magnesium. This is a mineral known for its contribution to keeping the heart-healthy.
As per the studies, adding more whole grains to your diet can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 22%.
5. Brown Rice for Better Digestion
One of the most important benefits of brown rice is that it’s easy to digest. Due to the presence of fiber, brown rice can be an extremely useful ingredient to aid your digestive system. The intestinal movements and bowel movements can be regulated by the fibers as well.
Brown rice works excellently against the problem related to colitis and constipation as well.
6. Brown Rice against Cognitive Dysfunction
The ample amount of fiber present in brown rice brings a great deal in terms of the health benefits it offers. It cuts down the risk of neurodegenerative disorders by lowering cholesterol levels. Next, it replaces the harmful cholesterol with fiber.
In addition to that, brown rice is also beneficial in treating cognitive dysfunctions and neuro diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s by inhibiting harmful enzymes.
Also Read:- Types of Rice
7. Brown Rice to Improve Bone Health
Brown rice’s benefits include its ability to improve bone health significantly. Being rich in calcium and magnesium helps the bones to maintain their physical structures.
Besides, brown rice can also help in mitigating bone demineralization. Therefore, it comes in very handy in treating arthritis and osteoporosis.
8. Brown Rice to Provide Antioxidants
Brown rice is good for you as it contains several powerful antioxidants including phenols and flavonoids. Having these antioxidants can neutralize the harmful free radicals in your body. Therefore, it results in reducing the risk of inflammation as well as chronic diseases in your body.
Furthermore, antioxidants also help in preventing the oxidation of cells and certain types of cancer from occurring.
9. Brown Rice for Treating Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the major issues this generation is dealing with. Generally, the easiest solution is resorting to pills which in return can result in several side effects.
Being rich in melatonin, a sleep hormone, brown rice can help in aiding insomnia naturally. It not only regulates your sleep cycle but also provides deep sleep to get rid of insomnia.
10. Brown Rice for Better Maternal Health
Brown rice benefits include offering better mental health conditions to lactating mothers. It shows great results in reducing mood disturbances, depression, fatigue as well as stress.
Besides, it also improves the overall immune defense of the mothers to fight infections and diseases during this period.
Also Read:- Health Benefits of Rice Wate
Brown Rice Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition | Nutritional Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 111 kcal |
| Total Fat | 0.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 5 mg |
| Potassium | 43 mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 23 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.8 g |
| Sugar | 0.4 g |
| Protein | 2.6 g |
| Iron | 2% of DV ( Daily Value) |
| Vitamin B6 | 5% of DV |
Brown Rice Side Effects
The side effects of brown rice can only occur to you in two ways.
First, if you are allergic to certain compounds available in brown rice.
Second, is the amount of arsenic present in brown rice. According to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) report, brown rice contains approx 154 parts per billion of arsenic. This amount of arsenic is not that toxic in the short term.
But with long-term consumption, this amount of arsenic can be harmful to your health. become dangerous. So, try to cook the rice in excess water to get rid of the arsenic.
Brown rice is an extremely nutritious, gluten-free grain with an impressive amount of nutrients ranging from essential vitamins, minerals as well as other health-beneficial compounds. So, it’s time to choose a healthier alternative to your regular white rice.
Conclusion
Brown rice is delightfully delicious and is bountiful in nutritional value. In addition, it offers many health benefits like better weight control, cholesterol reduction, stress-lowering actions, etc. Thus, we hope you actively include it in your diet and get ahead in your health journey! Good luck!
