Rice – The Darker, The Better

Rice comes in all shapes and colors. There are more than 40,000 types of rice in the world, with different grain sizes and different colors. We usually know some varieties of white rice, but its colors are very diverse, from black to yellow, red, purple, and brown. Every sort has its own specific texture and subtle variation of flavors. If you put all of them together, you will have 20% of the food that exists today around the world.

It has different colors, different flavors, different shapes, different prices – but are there other differences that you should take into consideration when choosing rice? Well, their nutritious values and health benefits also differ from one type to another.

Wild rice

Even though white rice is richer in calcium and folic acid that wild rice, the last one is superior to white rice due to its higher amount of vitamin B6, niacin, and the nutritional value. When making a comparison between these two types of rice, it is necessary to mention that wild rice provides you three times the dietary fiber of white rice.

Moreover, if you are interested in losing weight, keep in mind that a meal containing wild rice is lower in carbohydrates and calories than a white rice meal.

The amount of amino acids present in wild rice is also impressive. Amino acids cannot be produced by your body, so it is vital to eat foods that contain them, like wild rice. Lysine is a type of amino acids present in wild rice. Lysine proved to be essential when it comes to converting fatty acids into energy and has a great role in maintaining your skin, cartilage, tendons, and bones healthy. This amino acid also lowers the level of bad cholesterol from your body.

The amounts of magnesium and zinc are another advantage of wild rice. These minerals help your heart to function properly, and they contribute to a beautiful skin.

Brown Rice

The popularity of brown rice is increasing more and more. If you have questions regarding which type of rice has a higher amount of minerals and vitamins, you should know that from these three types of rice mentioned until now – white, wild, brown – brown rice is the best choice. It is a wonderful source of magnesium, manganese, selenium, vitamin B, phosphorus.

The benefits of all these nutrients cannot be ignored. Let’s take, for example, manganese. This is a mineral that plays an important role in the health of your bone structure because it helps the body to create the enzymes that are necessary for building bones. Moreover, manganese contributes to the absorption of calcium and regulates the blood sugar level. Another interesting fact about this mineral is that it protects the cells from the damage of free radicals.

Black rice

Also known as purple rice, black rice has similar proprieties to brown rice. What makes it superior to brown rice is its propriety to heal and prevent inflammation. It has been proven that black rice can also diminish the symptoms of dermatitis, and it helps in preventing heart diseases.

Black rice fights better against the action of free radicals than brown rice, due to its substantial amount of antioxidants.