Nutritionist on benefits of white rice alternatives
Rice is among the most important grain crops, and it is consumed by more than half of the world's population. White rice is the most common, but pigmented varieties are much more useful. In her talk with sb.by, a nutritionist and candidate of chemical sciences, Anastasia Shalyapina, explained why not the usual white, but red, purple, brown and black rice should be better eaten.
Pigmented rice varieties are gaining popularity among those who take care of their health, and the expert commented, “Studies have shown that such rice has anti-inflammatory properties, is rich in antioxidants, and prevents the development of cancer and diabetes mellitus. Also, such rice varieties are an excellent source of fat-soluble biologically active compounds.”
White rice alternatives have unique colours and taste, so they are used as an ingredient in many dishes.
As noted by Ms. Shalyapina, any whole-grain rice, including black, brown, purple, red, wild and semi-ground, contains more fibre, iron and vitamins than white rice, “The latter loses most of its nutritional value during the milling and polishing process.”
The expert briefly listed the main advantages of different varieties of pigmented rice, “Brown rice is rich in vitamin E, which is also an important antioxidant that provides protection against chronic diseases. Black and brown rice contain a lot of iron, zinc and phosphorus. In addition, black and purple rice are distinguished by a large content of protein and crude fibre. Red rice has high antioxidant activity, which means it slows down the aging process in the body.”
