How rice affects the human body

It is no accident that rice is the main component of oriental cuisine. In many Asian countries, a lot of delicious and healthy dishes are prepared from this cereal. But the degree of benefit of rice cereal for human health largely depends on the method of processing grain.

Which rice is healthier

Counters of modern grocery stores are replete with the abundance of different varieties of cereals. This also applies to rice. Buyers are offered brown and brown cereals. Croup of traditional white color is also presented in different versions. Packages of rice are evenly packed:

• crushed;
• polished;
• steamed.

Therefore, it is quite natural that many buyers are interested in what type of rice should be chosen for home cooking. After many studies, scientists answered this difficult question. The most beneficial for health, in their opinion, are colored varieties, because all the useful components are concentrated in their shell.

Of the white varieties of cereal, steamed should be distinguished, and polished grains are less useful, because during processing the outer shell is removed from them.

Chemical composition

It is clear that the color of the grains affects the composition. So, brown rice is a champion in the content of mineral elements, and in the wild variety there are much more plant fibers. Red groats are rich in iron, which, incidentally, explains its unusual shade. But in the composition of different varieties of rice, the following substances are present:

1. Vitamin complex (vitamins of group B deserve special attention).
2. Mineral elements: molybdenum, cobalt, selenium, silicon, chromium.
3. Ash and starch.
4. Fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated).
5. Plant proteins.
6. Monosaccharides and a number of substances that are of great value to the human body.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the calorie content of colored rice is almost three times lower than that of white varieties. Therefore, many diets, especially the diet of losing weight people, are based on the name of the croup of red or black.

Beneficial features

Regardless of color, all varieties of rice groats have the following set of useful properties:

1. Provide body tissues with energy and nutrition.
2. Normalize digestive processes.
3. Stabilize the balance of intestinal microflora.
4. With pronounced antioxidant abilities, toxic products are eliminated from the body.
5. Regulate cholesterol.
6. Normalize the endocrine system.
7. They have a positive effect on the nervous system.
8. They have a moderate diuretic property, which is useful for edema.
9. Thanks to the starch content, they help normalize stool in intestinal disorders.
10. Strengthen the heart muscle due to the presence of potassium.
11. Regulate metabolic processes.

Recently, scientists found that the antioxidant properties of rice neutralize the influence of free radicals, so dishes from this healthy cereal reduce the risk of cancer. The high content of neurotransmitters in brown rice prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly.

It should also be added to this list of cereal advantages that dishes prepared from it quickly satisfy hunger. This property is widely used in medical nutrition. For many diseases, rice is necessarily included in nutrition programs.

For example, with gastritis and peptic ulcer during the period of exacerbation, patients are prescribed liquid rice porridge, which envelops the walls of the stomach well, reducing pain and discomfort. Cereal is good for men's health, because the content of zinc and selenium in the cereal stimulates the production of testosterone.

Although there are no direct contraindications to the use of rice, apart from individual intolerance, diabetics are not recommended to use white varieties in the diet due to the high starch content.They are better off cooking brown and brown cereal. Caution should be given to rice and those who have a tendency to constipation. This rule is especially true for patients suffering from hemorrhoids and rectal fissures.