You have very likely already heard many times that brown rice is much better for you than white rice. Beyond that however, you might be asking yourself just why that is. If you love eating rice but would like to maintain good health, switch to brown rice. Listed here are nine health benefits you will get from eating brown rice regularly.
1. Keeps cholesterol at a safe level
Not all fats or oils are bad, and our body need them to regulate and keep our cholesterol level at a safe level. Brown rice has these good, naturally occurring oils in them.
2. Repair damaged cells
Selenium is an essential nutrient which your body requires, and brown rice is very rich in it. Selenium has been proven to repair DNA and damaged cells, and to stop the spread of cancer cells or abnormal cells. Hence, getting sufficient selenium drastically reduces your risks for developing diseases like cancer and heart disease.
3. Helps eliminate fats
Major manganese is an essential mineral which helps your body eliminate fats and keeps your reproductive and nervous systems functioning optimally. You will get 80% of your daily manganese requirement with just one cup of brown rice.
4. Helps you lose weight
Fibre is needed for good bowel movement and brown rice is packed full of it. Not only that, eating brown rice with steamed vegetables will keep you full longer and keep away the hunger pangs. You’ll cut down the snacks and lose weight.
5. Prevents plaque build-up in the arteries
Whole grains helps to prevent the build-up of plaque in the arteries. They also keep cholesterol in check and reduce your risk for heart diseases. Unlike white rice, brown rice is not refined and retains all the natural goodness of real whole grain.
6. Fights off free radicals
We need antioxidants to fight off free radicals which damages our cells. Brown rice gives us a mega dose of antioxidants equivalent to other superfoods such as berries.
7. Stabilizes blood sugar levels
Studies have shown that eating just a half cup of brown rice daily will reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 60%. It helps to stabilize your blood sugar level unlike white rice which can increase the probability of developing type 2 diabetes.
8. Great for babies
If you have a baby, you do not need to feed them mushy processed rice cereal solids. Give them brown rice or brown rice cereal instead. The natural composition of nutrients and the filling fiber will give your baby everything they need as they transition into eating real food.
9. You can work it into any recipe
Brown rice flour is the perfect substitute for regular white flour. You can make healthy pancakes, breads and other tasty baked items with it. You can also use brown rice in soups and stews.
Brown rice is really nutritious and delicious. It might take some getting used to initially but once you make the switch, you won’t miss white rice at all. You can even use it to roll your own sushi!
Tell us what you do with your brown rice.