HEALTH BENEFITS OF BROWN RICE

Lately for health reasons I have changed from eating white rice to brown rice.
Normally when we eat out at restaurants or buy from the economy stalls they served only white rice. So nowadays I cooked my own brown rice, put it in a tupperware lunch box and buy some dishes to go with it.
Whole grain brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice. This is because whole grain brown rice contains all three layers of the kernel - the bran, germ and endosperm. It is rich in lignans (antioxidant and phytoestrogens found in a variety of plants, especially flax seeds), phytoestogens and phenolic compounds that are all high in antioxidant activity. It also contains important nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, iron, riboflavin and five times the fiber of white rice. The germ of the rice provides natural Vitamin E. The bran of the rice contains phytochemicals that may reduce cholesterol.

Health benefits of eating whole grain brown rice include:

Cancer: brown rice contains plant lignins, especially enterolactone, that help establish healthy flora in the intestines, and may protect against breast and other hormone-dependant cancers, as well as heart disease. One study found that women who ate more whole grains, including brown rice, had significantly higher blood levels of enterolactone.

Alzheimer's: researchers found that eating brown rice reduced learning and memory deficits in animals, brought about by beta-amyloid protein, considered to be one of the leading contributors in Alzheimers dementia.

Tips on Using Brown Rice:

*Long grain rice produces light, dry grains that separate easily.

*Short grain rice produces almost-round grains with a higher starch content than long or medium grains, and that stick together when cooked.

*Brown rice has a shelf life of three to six months but this can be extended by refrigerating the uncooked rice.

*Cooked rice can be refrigerated for up to one week in a tightly covered container.

*Brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice; it can take up to fifty minutes to soften.

So make a change today and live a healthy life....