Black rice, which is also called taboo rice or purple rice, is a whole grain that people in China, Korea, and Japan have eaten for a very long time. In ancient China, only emperors and rich people were allowed to eat black rice, which is how the name “forbidden rice” came about. In traditional Chinese medicine, black rice has been used since then to treat diabetes and anemia, improve circulation, and make kidneys work better.
In the United States, you can now buy black rice at many grocery stores and health food shops. It has a chewy feel that is a bit like brown rice, which is also a whole-grain rice. There are a lot of health benefits to eating black rice. It has a lot of fiber and vitamins that are good for you. The strong purple color of this rice comes from the anthocyanin in it, which is a powerful antioxidant that can help keep you from getting many diseases.
Antioxidants are Good for Your Health
Anthocyanins, glycosides, flavonols, and carotenoids are just a few of the vitamins and antioxidants that black rice is a good source of. It is important to have antioxidants because they help protect against reactive stress. Oxidative stress is a response in the body that can hurt cells and make illnesses like heart disease and cancer more likely to happen.
One way to help stop and lower reactive stress is to eat foods that are high in antioxidants. One of the most antioxidant-rich types of rice is black rice. One study found that black rice has the most phytonutrients and shows the most potential in fighting breast cancer cells compared to red and brown rice.
Another study found that eating more dietary flavonols, which are found in black rice, is linked to a lower risk of getting colon cancer. But we need to do more studies to find out if and how antioxidants can help stop cancer. You should get antioxidants from food instead of supplements, as studies have shown that supplements don’t work as well at lowering reactive stress.
Nutrition of Black Rice
This black rice is a whole grain that is mostly made up of carbs. It also has a good amount of protein and fiber. This is how many calories are in 0.25 cups of uncooked black rice:
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 1 gram (g)
- Sodium: 40 milligrams (mg), or 2% of the daily value (DV)
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 5 g, or 18% of the DV
- Protein: 4 g
- Added sugars: 0 g
Black rice is colored because it has a lot of antioxidants in it. It has a lot of anthocyanins, which have been shown to help fight chronic inflammation and keep diseases from happening. Because it has these antioxidants, black rice extract is being used more and more as a useful food.
Risks of Black Rice
Black rice is safe for most people to eat and is full of nutrients. On the other hand, black rice has more fiber than other types of rice, so it may make some people’s stomachs hurt, especially if they eat too much fiber too fast. Black rice has a lot of fiber, which some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may not be able to handle, especially if they eat it with other high-fiber foods.
Asia has used black rice for hundreds of years, but we don’t eat it as much here in the U.S. A lot of people in the US know other types of rice, like brown rice and white rice. Black or brown rice have more fiber than white rice because they are whole grains. Also, it doesn’t have as many antioxidants.
Adding sources of fiber and vitamins to white rice can help make a meal that is well-rounded. To get more whole grains every day, you can also eat different kinds of whole grains throughout the day, like oatmeal or whole wheat bread.
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