Following the perfect diet is essential to stay healthy. However, there are a lot of important staples that get overlooked, such as rice. For a while, there was a misconception that rice was not healthy. Harvard Health wrote a great article on the benefits of this grain. They summarized the findings of a study of over 200,000 people, which debunked the theory that rice may contribute to cardiovascular disease. Of course, other health benefits are well documented. A more recent study shows that eating rice could help prevent diabetes. Even a modest increase in rice consumption could lower the risk of obesity by 1%.
Benefits of Eating Rice Are Clearly Understood
There are many reasons that eating rice is a good idea as part of a healthy well-balanced diet. That being said, there are many understandable questions when it comes to the best way to make rice part of your daily diet. Is brown rice really that much healthier than white rice? What size should the portion be? What about all the carbs? These are understandable questions and there is a lot of misinformation out there. Many people are afraid of rice because they are afraid that a few more carbohydrates will push their belly out, but is that really what happens? You might be surprised at the answer. The truth is that rice has several natural health benefits and it works as an amazing source of energy for your body add in the effects it has on your skin as well as regulating blood sugar and there are a lot of reasons to rethink your ideas about rice. Fantastic Energy Source Rice provides solid nutrition including vitamins like vitamin D, calcium, niacin, thiamine, and iron. In addition to this, rice is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol making it a good choice for heart health-conscious individuals. Add in the fact that the body can easily convert the carbohydrates from rice into quick and easy energy and there’s a lot to like here. Multiple Health Benefits In various studies rice has been shown to have some very positive health effects. For one thing, brown rice contains a large number of nutrients that have been shown to help brain function. This includes helping to prevent the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in older individuals. In addition to this, the blood sugar control helps keep heart disease under control in addition to offering enough fiber to help keep the system regular. While there have also been some talks about rice helping to prevent cancer, there are some questions about the studies that came to those results. Even if we ignore those studies, that is still a long list of positives when it comes to what rice brings to the table. Rice also qualifies as a gluten-free food, making it a great substitute for any type of grain. They also contain proteins that are usually acceptable to individuals who cannot process the proteins found in wheat, oats, barley, rye, and other common grains.
So What’s The Verdict?
There’s a lot to love about what rice brings to the dinner plate. Not only do both white and brown rice taste great and work well with stir-fry, casseroles, and various other dishes, but the long array of positive health benefits that this grain brings to the table shows you just how much potential it really has. This takes up space on the plate, fills up the stomach without calorie loading you, and helps satiate your hunger while providing important vitamins and minerals, good energy, and a balanced diet. Always use a quality rice cooker for perfect rice every time. While there are many low carb and no carb diets trying to sell you on the evils of rice, the truth is that it is an outstanding health food that should be part of your balanced diet.
