There is a reason why brown rice is often regarded to be one of the healthiest foods in the world. After all, in the Chinese language, to eat rice literally means to dine.
Dangers of common white rice
In the common Asian cuisine, white rice is considered to be a staple food. It is served in most restaurants, homes and food outlets. But did you know that white rice can be hazardous?
Why is it so?
One thing to note, white rice comes from brown rice. When white rice is produced, the outermost layer known as the hull is removed. Then there would be milling, polishing and in some cases, bleaching of the rice. When this happens, it destroys:
- 67% of vitamin B3
- 80% of the vitamin B1
- 90% of the vitamin B6
- 50% of the manganese and phosphorus respectively
- 60% of the iron
- Dietary fibre and fatty acids
On the other hand, vitamins B1, B3 and iron that are enriched are being injected.
So, how good is brown rice?
Brown rice is not just about its colour. It has a lot of health benefits. Among them include:
- Rich in manganese – When you take brown rice, you get a lot of manganese which is important for your body to produce energy. Besides that, it has superoxide dismutase which is a very prominent antioxidant enzyme
- Weight loss – In a survey done on consumption of brown rice, it was found that those who took this had a more balanced weight
- Rich in fiber and selenium – This helps to reduce risk of cancer and aid in digestion.
- Lower Cholesterol – Basically, this helps in maintaining better health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Is Malaysian Brown Rice safe?
Malaysian brown rice is produced by companies like ecoBrown and NutriBrownRice, among others. Like other producers of brown rice in other countries, these companies follow strict guidelines during the entire process. Always check the labels that come with the packaging to ensure that they have been organically grown and produced and they would be safe for consumption. After all, Malaysia has a reputable rice growing industry dating that to many centuries.
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