Brown rice is a popular, naturally gluten-free alternative that is so full of benefits that it is often referred to as a vital necessity for a healthy lifestyle. Here’s a gist of brown rice’s nutritional value; some of the primary nutrients present in brown rice include iron, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, vitamins B1, and B2.
Brown rice is also a great source of fiber along with an adequate volume of protein. Thus, it is quite evident the brown rice is a superfood that can completely change your life for good.
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Table of Contents
Watch: Benefits Of Brown Rice
Common Benefits Of Brown Rice:
1. Acts As An Antioxidant
Consisting of an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase, brown rice itself acts as an antioxidant and makes an effective free-radical scavenger. Free-radicals, or free oxygen atoms, are present in the blood and often tend to combine with healthy cells, thus exerting oxidative stress over their cell walls and damaging them.
Consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, like brown rice, increases the concentration of antioxidants in the blood, which combine with the free-radicals before they get a chance to attack the healthy cells. Thus, it can also be said that the consumption of brown rice lowers the risk of free-radical damage significantly.
Also Read: Types Of Rice Based On Color, Texture, Shape, And Aroma
2. Promotes Cardiovascular Health
A common mineral found in brown rice called selenium is vital when it comes to boosting your heart’s health. Adequate consumption of selenium is often linked with the dilation of the blood vessels, which helps with the managing of blood pressure and lowers the amount of bad-cholesterol accumulating in the vessels.
Consumption of brown rice regularly ensures a smooth and regulated flow of blood to the heart, hence keeping various heart-related issues at bay.
3. Aids In Digestion
The fiber content present in brown rice is not just beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels, but the presence of fiber in this gluten-free grain can have numerous other benefits associated with it. First, let us focus on the benefits of the insoluble fibers of brown rice on one’s digestive health.
By ingesting an adequate amount of fiber, the digestive system can easily remove any toxins, as they add up to the bulk of the stool and aid in the removal of food that is not perfectly digested by the system, thus a high-fiber diet helps you by keeping you healthy.
4. Improves The Functioning Of The Nervous System
By aiding in the acceleration of metabolism, proper consumption of brown rice can ensure the smooth functioning of the brain and nervous system.
Furthermore, some of the essential minerals such as manganese and magnesium, which are present in brown rice in impressive quantity, are responsible for regulating your nerve functioning and muscle tone.
The presence of these minerals counteract the effects the calcium has on the nerve cells (the higher level of calcium can produce stress on the nerve cells, which can result in them being damaged).
Also Read: Sources Of Carbohydrates|Tips To Add Carbs In Your Daily Diet
5. Can Help Manage Insomnia
Yes, it is true, the consumption of brown rice can help you sleep better. The main reason behind this additional benefit of brown rice is the fact that its ingestion helps with the secretion of melatonin, a powerful sleep hormone, which further aids in the relaxation of nerve tissues and helps you by improving your sleep cycle.
6. Improves Immunity
The antioxidant property of brown rice can be beneficial from various points of view. And one of these is its favorable effect on the immune system. The increased level of antioxidants in the bloodstream helps in lowering the level of free-radicals, or free oxygen atoms before they get a chance to combine with the healthy cells.
This factor also prevents the immune cells from getting damaged by these free-radicals, hence brown rice, due to its antioxidant content, is known to strengthen the immune system.
7. Keeps Neurodegenerative Disorders At Bay
One of the common benefits linked with the incorporation of brown rice into a regular diet is its ability to keep the neural-pathways functioning properly. This too can be traced back to the antioxidant properties of brown rice.
By preventing the free radicals from attacking the neural pathways, the consumption of antioxidant-rich brown rice can effectively maintain a properly functioning nervous system and prevents the occurrences of complications such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
8. Strengthens Bones
Apart from calcium, magnesium, a mineral that is present in brown rice in an adequate volume also plays a major role in improving the strength of bones. The reason behind magnesium’s importance in improving one’s bone density is that magnesium can be quite vital in converting vitamin D, another active bone enhancer, into its active form.
Once vitamin D is converted into its active form, it turns on the calcium absorption for the bones, thus magnesium is one of the most important components needed for promoting bone health.
9. Manages Blood Sugar
Having a low glycaemic index, brown rice can be a part of your diet if you are looking to stabilize your blood sugar level. The high-fiber content of brown rice, upon its ingestion, helps in reducing the insulin resistivity of the system, thus preventing the abnormal surges in blood glucose level, as most of it gets broken down into energy by insulin.
Moreover, the fact that the brown rice is a complex carbohydrate further adds to its slower release of sugar upon digestion, which gives the pancreas enough time to secrete an adequate amount of insulin.
Why Brown Rice Is A Great Choice For Weight Loss?
It is known that high-fiber food items such as brown rice can prove to be quite beneficial for managing weight loss as well. This nutrient-dense item is also quite filling, so it is evident that by consuming it you’ll end up having a meal that is low in calories (the amount of calories in brown rice is fewer than the calories in white rice).
The weight-loss benefits of brown rice can also be considered to be a contributory factor of lignans, a compound that is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. In addition to that, its ingestion also leads to a reduction in the amount of fat accumulated in the body. If you are looking for some more reasons that make it a great weight-loss choice, here are a few points that’ll ease your mind.
Related Reading For Weight Loss
1. Keeps You Full For Longer
The high-fiber content of brown rice is not only great for filling you up fast with a fewer number of calories, but it also keeps you filled for a longer time and prevents you from overeating, which is among the topmost causes for weight gain.
2. Healthy Fiber Content
Brown rice can be considered as the highest fiber-containing food item, or at least it has more fiber than most of the refined grains such as white rice. This means that choosing this over other items can help you lose that belly fat and body weight more efficiently.
3. Is An Overall Healthy Superfood
One of the few reasons for you to choose brown rice for your weight loss needs is that it is a multi-tasking grain that can, thanks to its nutritional content, benefit your body’s overall health.
Apart from being rich in fiber, brown rice also has adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins, all of which help in providing it with a certain antioxidant property. This further maintains the body’s cholesterol level, blood pressure, and blood glucose level, all the factors that themselves play a huge role in one’s weight management.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned points all contribute towards brown rice’s superfood nature. High on minerals, vitamins, fibers, carbs, and having a relatively sufficient amount of protein, there is nothing more that you can ask from an item such as brown rice, for it would effortlessly deliver its promise of redefining your life and make it much healthier than before.
Now, there is no need for you to linger, just go with it.