In my last blog I explained everything about the architecture of rice and the difference between white rice and brown rice.
Today I am presenting to you the advantages of brown rice and the glaring disadvantages of eating white rice…
Brown rice is high in magnesium and fiber, both of which help control blood sugar levels.Research suggests that regularly eating whole grains, like brown rice, helps lower blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes In one study, women who frequently ate whole grains, had a 31% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate the fewest whole grains.
Simply replacing white rice with brown has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, high consumption of white rice has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. This may be due to its high glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a food increases blood sugar.
Brown rice has a GI of 50 and white rice has a GI of 89, meaning that white increases blood sugar levels much faster than brown. Eating high-GI foods has been associated with several health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
Heart disease:
Brown rice contains lignans, plant compounds that can help protect against heart disease. Lignans have been shown to reduce the amount of fat in the blood, lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation in the arteries.
Studies suggest that eating brown rice helps reduce several risk factors for heart disease.
An analysis of 45 studies found that people who ate the most whole grains, including brown rice,
had a 16–21% lower risk of heart disease compared to people who ate the fewest whole grains.
An analysis of 285,000 men and women found that eating an average of 2.5 servings of whole-grain
foods each day may lower heart disease risk by almost 25%. Whole grains like brown rice may also
lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Brown rice has even been linked to an increase in HDL
(“good”) cholesterol.
Antioxidants
The bran of brown rice contains many powerful antioxidants. Studies show that due to their
antioxidant levels, whole grains like brown rice can help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease,
cancer and type 2 diabetes. Studies also show that brown rice can help increase blood antioxidant
levels in obese women.
In addition, a recent animal study suggests that eating white rice may decrease blood antioxidant
levels in type 2 diabetics.
Weight Control
Eating brown rice instead of white may also significantly reduce weight, body mass index (BMI) and
circumference of the waist and hips.
One study collected data on 29,683 adults and 15,280 children. The researchers found that the more
whole grains people ate, the lower their body weight was.
In another study, researchers followed more than 74,000 women for 12 years and found that
women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than women who consumed
fewer whole grains.Additionally, a randomized controlled trial in 40 overweight and obese women
found that brown rice reduced body weight and waist size compared to white rice.
However, please don’t get this wrong…But either type of rice can be a part of a healthy diet and there is nothing wrong
with a few morsels of white rice now & then!
Dr. Manjiri Joshi
www.ayurconcept.com
9403360452