Rice and your Health

It's hard to believe white rice and brown rice come from the same source.

Processed within an inch of its life, white rice comes to you stripped of almost all its flavor as well as its nutrients-except the ones with which it gets "fortified." Brown rice, on the other hand, is minimally processed; it's the whole grain without the inedible husk. Full of rich flavor and the nutrients nature gave it, brown rice has nearly twice the fiber of white rice, as well as more vitamins and potassium.

It's not hard to guess which is the better bet.

Bran, the outer layer of brown rice, contains a compound called orysanol, which helps reduce the body's natural cholesterol production. Studies have shown that people who eat about 3 ounces of rice bran a day for three weeks experience an average 7 percent drop in cholesterol and an average 10 percent drop in harmful LDL cholesterol, the kind that clogs arteries and ups your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

A half cup of brown rice contains about 2 grams of insoluble fiber. In addition to lowering cholesterol, rice bran fiber helps maintain bowel irregularity and has been linked to lower risk of bowel cancer. By making potentially dangerous substances move quickly through and out of the body, bran gives toxins less time to damage colon walls and lead to colon cancer.

The fiber in brown rice also binds with excess estrogen in the digestive tract and ushers it out of the body. That means there is less estrogen circulating in the bloodstream, where it may help cause breast cancer.

There's no end to the benefits of fiber: It also helps steady blood sugar levels and provides slow-burning energy, making it good for diabetics and athletes alike.

Brown basmati rice is the quickest cooking brown rice. When cooking rice, try adding some vegetable or chicken broth to the cooking liquid for a flavor boost. Always let rice cook until all the liquid is absorbed so you won't lose important nutrients.
Brown rice is filled with oils and will quickly spoil at room temperature. Refrigerate uncooked rice in an airtight container; it will keep for up to a year.

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.