Published By: vikramsharma

Health Benefits of Including Rice in Your Diet (Part I)

Rice is a very common food across the globe and it’s a staple diet in many Asian countries, mostly in the Indian sub-continent, China and Southeast Asia. Rice can be divided into various categories depending on its taste, size, etc. but broadly it’s divided into white and brown rice. Rice is many boiled and eaten with other food items like vegetables and meat. Here we will discuss the health benefits of including rice in your diet.

 Helps to Maintain a Healthy Weight 

Having brown rice over white rice helps in keeping weight in check as it contains fibre and protein. 

It’s a common belief that eating rice adds to the weight of a person but that is white rice and it’s not scientifically backed. But having brown rice instead of white rice may help in maintaining a healthy weight. Brown rice is fibre and protein, that are known for having a gratifying effect and results in a lower glycemic index (GI) as compared to white rice. It implies that the carbs acquired from brown rice are transformed into energy more progressively and help in reducing the blood glucose and fasting insulin levels. This helps to stabilize energy levels, averts cravings, and may help to maintain a healthy weight.

Protection from Chronic Diseases

Numerous studies suggest that brown rice is quite helpful to protect us from various types of chronic diseases.

Brown rice holds the bran layer and is rich in protective compounds known as flavonoids; apigenin and quercetin are two types of flavonoids that are available in brown rice. These compounds have a significant role in shielding against various types of chronic diseases. Including brown rice in the diet is connected to a reduced risk of ailments such as heart disease, some types of cancers like pancreatic and gastric cancers along with type 2 diabetes.

White Rice Provides Energy and Restores Glycogen Levels 

White rice is known for providing energy and restoring glycogen levels, especially after some hardcore physical activity.

Sportsmen across the world mostly include white rice in their diet because it helps in providing them energy along with restoring glycogen levels. Refined carbs, which are present in white rice, are a good source of swift, easily accessible carbohydrates and it’s needed to restock muscle glycogen after physical exertion.