Brown Rice Health Benefits

We have been eating brown rice for a little while and we love it.  In many different ways, brown rice is much better for you than white rice.  If you never try it before, try some!  You will be surprised and amazed how yummy it is.  

Here are a few health benefits from brown rice:

Helps lower cholesterol - The oil in whole brown rice, not its fiber, lowers cholesterol.

Helps prevent atherosclerosis - the fiber in rice has been shown to help prevent atherosclerosis.

Helps to maintain a normal body weight - A study published in November 2003 of the America Journal of Clinic Nutrition cites the importance of having a diet rich in whole grains vs. refined grains as a means to help maintain a normal body weight.

Reduces risk of metabolic syndrome - The latest research shows that refined grains and the foods made from them (e.g., white breads, cookies, pastries, pasta and rice) are now being linked not only to weight gain but to increased risk of insulin resistance (the precursor of type 2 diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome (a strong predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), while eating more whole grain foods is being shown to protect against all these ills.

Common features of the metabolic syndrome include visceral obesity (the “apple shaped” body), low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.

Helps prevent colon cancer - The selenium, a trace mineral found in brown rice, substantially reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Brown rice is a good source fiber. Fiber has been shown to speed the transit time of fecal matter within the colon, this minimizes the time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells.

Helps prevent gallstones - Eating foods high in insoluble fiber, such as brown rice, can help women avoid gallstones, shows a study published in the July 2004 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Helps increase energy levels - Manganese helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system, and in the production of cholesterol, which is used by the body to produce sex hormones.

Manganese is also a critical component of a very important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Antioxidants provide protection against damage from the free radicals.

TIP:
Be sure to check packaged brown rice "use by" date, since it has a potential to become rancid if kept too long due to its natural oils.

Brown rice will keep fresh for about 6 months, if it is stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.