In China, they have a saying that goes “A meal without rice is like a beautiful girl with only one eye.”
In Asia, rice is essential, but given that there are thousands of varieties of rice, why choose brown rice for your family?
Brown, or “hulled” rice, is a kind of whole, natural grain that’s widely known to have great health benefits. Here we pick out some of the most relevant and surprising reasons for you to go brown!
Only the best for your kids
Kids need easily digestible food to assist their delicate digestive system. The dense natural nutrients and fiber in brown rice do just that and make a great addition to your kids’ diet. Brown rice is also an excellent source of manganese, a trace mineral vital to children’s health.
Fighting diabetes
Studies* have shown that eating brown rice actually helps lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is again thanks to the many nutrients and fiber contained in brown rice.
Keeping cancer at bay
Brown rice is rich in selenium, a trace mineral essential to good health that has shown to substantially reduce the risk of some cancers. Selenium also supports the thyroid gland and helps prevent heart disease and arthritis.
Anti-oxidant superstar
When you think anti-oxidants, what typically comes to mind are fruits like strawberries, blueberries, acai and so on. But brown rice is also a great – and much simpler – source of anti-oxidants.
Childhood asthma burden
Too many kids have to carry the burden of asthma. Some food however, including brown rice and fish, can help reduce the risk of developing asthma by up to 50%. There is hope!
Promoting bone health
One cup of brown rice contains 21% of the recommended daily magnesium intake, which is usually stored in the bones. It’s a classic case of eat now, reap later. Your bones will thank you in ten year’s time!
Aids weight loss
Besides making you feel full, the fibre in brown rice keeps the bowel function at its peak, helping you digest food efficiently and maintaining your body weight.
If you plan to switch to brown rice, don’t forget to soak the rice before cooking and to integrate other grains to your diet. Don’t rely entirely on one grain. Variety is the key to a healthy diet!
*Source:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2010/06/14/brown-rice-bests-white-for-diabetes-prevention
http://www.healthandsoul.com/dont-stop-kids-from-relishing-rice.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=95
