It is thought that rice provides around half of the daily calories for half of the population of the world. Brown rice is an affordable and ideal accompaniment to almost any dish, whether meat or vegetable based. In addition to being a staple food, it turns out that it is also extremely good for your body. Read on to discover the eleven main health benefits of brown rice, and learn why eating more of it could improve your quality of life and help you to live longer.
1) It can help you to maintain a healthy weight:
When it comes to developing or keeping a slim figure, brown rice has a huge advantage over white rice. One twelve year study performed by researchers from Harvard Medical School showed that women who ate the largest amounts of whole grain and fiber-rich foods were the most likely to be at a consistently healthy weight, while those who ate lots of refined-grain foods (such as white rice) were the most likely to be overweight. Indeed, the women who ate the most whole grains were a staggering 49% less likely to gain weight over the course of the study.
2) It is good for the cardiovascular system:
Brown rice can contribute to heart health in several interesting ways. For one thing, the antioxidants in brown rice also help to keep your blood vessels in good condition, protecting them from damage. Secondly, brown rice contains plant lignans, and these have been shown to protect against heart disease. Further, a large study conducted on postmenopausal women suffering from cardiovascular disease found that the disease progressed more slowly in those who ate no less than six servings of whole grains each week. These women had less severe narrowing of the arteries and less plaque inside their blood vessels. Finally, the magnesium in brown rice helps to maintain a regular (i.e. normal) heartbeat.
3) It reduces the severity of asthma and migraines:
Several studies support that claim that the magnesium in brown rice can help to reduce the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms in sufferers of the disease. It also appears to play a role in affording migraine sufferers some significant relief. It is currently thought that magnesium helps these conditions by playing a role in the regulation of nerve and muscle tone, keeping nerves (as well as the surrounding blood vessels) relaxed while preventing unnecessary and excessive contractions that can exacerbate asthma symptoms and migraine headaches.
4) It may help to protect you from certain types of cancer:
Firstly, one cup of brown rice provides you with around 88% of your recommended daily intake of manganese. Manganese is a vital part of an antioxidant enzyme that can help to protect your body against dangerous free radicals that are thought to play a role in the development of some cancers. Secondly, brown rice helps to reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancers in two different ways. It contains a huge amount of fiber (which lowers the amount of time that carcinogenic substances come into contact with cells in the colon), and it also contains a large amount of selenium (which has been proven to lower the risk of suffering from colorectal cancers). Finally, studies conducted on women have shown that those who eat the largest amounts of whole grains are 41% less likely to develop breast cancer (compared to those women who eat the lowest amounts of whole grains).
5) It helps to lower cholesterol:
Many different elements of brown rice make it an ideal food for people who want to lower their cholesterol, but the most powerful is probably gamma-oryzanol. This compound has been repeatedly shown to reduce the production of LDL (or ‘bad’ cholesterol). Researchers based at Louisiana State University have discovered that rice bran oil lowers this form of cholesterol by around 7% over the course of five weeks.
6) It is a rich source of selenium:
One cup of brown rice contains around 27% of your recommended daily intake of selenium, which is an important but often overlooked trace mineral. It plays a role in maintaining the immune system and also in keeping thyroid hormones at the right levels. In addition, selenium is correlated with a lower risk of cancer because it promotes repair in damaged cells (which might otherwise multiply out of control).
7) It lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
The high fiber content of brown rice means that it can help to keep blood sugar at healthy levels. This may contribute to the fact that a major study (lasting eight years) showed that women who ate the most whole grains were 31% less likely to be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
8. It improves your digestive health:
In addition to protecting you from colorectal cancers, brown rice can help you to maintain a healthy digestive system more generally. This is because it contains 14% of your recommended daily intake of fiber, which keeps your bowel movements regular and discourages constipation.
9) It reduces your risk of developing metabolic syndrome:
Metabolic syndrome occurs when you suffer from a group of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Eating refined grains (such as those found in white rice and white bread) makes you more likely to develop metabolic syndrome while eating whole grain foods (such as brown rice) makes you less likely to develop this syndrome. For example, one study revealed that people who eat the largest amounts of whole grain foods are close to 40% less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, while people who eat the largest amounts of refined grains are comparatively 141% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
10) It helps to keep your bones healthy:
Brown rice provides you with approximately 20% of your daily recommended intake of magnesium, and magnesium is vital for the development and maintenance of healthy bones.
11) It contains folacin:
Folacin is hugely important to your health in a couple of different ways. Firstly, it is essential to the body’s production of new red blood cells. Secondly, it also plays an important role in the health of unborn children, as it is required in order for the brain and spinal cord to properly develop.
As is obvious from all of the above health benefits, eating brown rice is a great way to make sure that you stay healthy, energetic and slim. Although some people find the taste to be boring, there are many creative ways to incorporate brown rice into exciting recipes. Try having it with spicy curries or seasoned vegetables, and remember that each portion is playing a role in improving and extending your life.
