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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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How Eating Brown Rice Can Prevent Heart Disease? Rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world's population, especially in Asia. It is the predominant dietary energy source not only in Asia but also in North and South America and Africa. It provides 20 percent of the world’s dietary energy supply. As whole grain rice, brown rice has only its inedible outer hull removed. White rice is milled rice that has had its husk, bran and germ removed. The milling process helps prevent spoilage and extend its storage life, and it also alters the flavor, texture and appearance of the rice. After milling, the rice is polished so that it has a bright, white and shiny appearance. Unfortunately, most of the nutrients are lost after the milling and polishing processes. Outer layer of the rice grain, the bran, contains fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin-B, phytochemicals, and most of the minerals. The germ is an inner portion at one end of the grain that contains fats, Vitamin-B, phytochemicals, and antioxidants like Vitamin-E. Brown rice has thus been advocated as healthier alternatives starting in the 19th century. A study conducted by the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’ reported that brown rice is the top choice in terms of both nutritional and other inherent healthy benefits. Being high in magnesium and fiber, brown rice can help control blood sugar levels. Research indicates that regularly eating whole grains, like brown rice, helps lower blood sugar levels and cuts the risk of Type-2 diabetes. In one study, women who frequently ate whole grains had a 31 percent lower risk of Type-2 diabetes than those who ate the fewest whole grains. By replacing white rice with brown rice, blood sugar levels as well as the risk of Type-2 diabetes can be reduced.
High consumption of white rice, on the other hand, has been linked to a higher 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 rice increases blood sugar levels much faster than brown rice. Eating high-GI foods has been associated with several health conditions, including Type-2 diabetes. Lignans, a plant compounds found in brown rice, have been shown to lower the amount of fats in the blood, lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation in the arteries. Various studies suggested that eating brown rice helps reduce several risk factors for heart disease. In one study, 285,000 men and women who ate an average of 2.5 servings of whole grain foods each day had their heart disease risk cut by almost 25 percent. Whole grains like brown rice may also lower total and LDL (the bad cholesterol). Brown rice has even been linked to an increase in HDL (the good cholesterol). Studies also indicated that brown rice, like other whole grains, can help prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Type-2 diabetes due to the many powerful antioxidants they contain. Brown rice is rich in selenium that help lower the risk of developing diseases such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Its rich naturally-occurring oils help normalize cholesterol levels, too. The fiber content of brown rice achieves easier digestion. Furthermore, brown rice also makes the tummy feel full so one can have smaller meal portions: it helps weight loss. In fact, eating brown rice instead of white rice may significantly reduce weight, body mass index (BMI) and circumference of the waist and hips. A study of 29,683 adults and 15,280 children found that the more whole grains people ate, the lower their body weight was. It is obvious that brown rice is the best choice in terms of nutritional quality and health benefits. But either type of rice can be part of a healthy diet. There is nothing wrong for people to have some white rice every now and then, especially for those who are not diabetes and have no health issues.
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