Brown rice is highly touted by lovers of healthy eating. But what are the actual health benefits of brown rice? In this post, we share some good reasons to add this grain to your diet.
What Is Brown Rice?
Let’s begin by understanding the difference between brown rice and white rice.
Before being processed, rice has an outer layer known as hull and then the bran and germ. With brown rice, the hull is removed, but the bran and germ remain, which gives brown rice its characteristic color.
White rice on the other hand, has been polished to the point where not only the outer hull is removed, but also the bran and germ.
This means that brown rice has more fiber and nutrients than white rice, as we’ll see in the sections below.
An Excellent Source of Manganese
Brown rice is a good way to get your daily dose of manganese, an often ignored mineral that plays a key role in brain and nerve function, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation, among other other important processes.
One cup (195 grams) of cooked brown rice provides 2.1 mg of manganese, equivalent to a whopping 107% of the DV.
Packs a Lot of Nutrients
But brown rice is more than manganese. Just take a look at this list with some of the nutrients contained in one cup of magnesium:
- Thiamin: 0.2 mg, 13% of DV
- Niacin: 2.6 mg, 13% of DV
- Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg, 155% of DV
- Folate: 7.8 mcg, 2% of DV
- Phosphorus: 150 mg, 15% of DV
- Potassium: 154 mg, 4% of DV
- Magnesium: 855.8 mg, 21% of DV
- Zinc: 1.2 mg, 8% of DV
- Copper: 0.2 mg, 8% of DV
It May Contribute to Heart Health
In addition to providing many nutrients, brown rice is also a good source of dietary fiber. A cup of cooked brown rice contains 3.5 grams of dietary fiber, equal to 14% of the Daily Value.
Studies have linked a high consumption of dietary fiber with “significant reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Plus, as we saw earlier, brown rice is also a good source of magnesium, a nutrient that also has been associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular risk factors.
Chef Gourmet: Healthy Dishes From Around the World
At Chef Gourmet, our specialty is delicious, healthy dishes from around the world.
We are located in Ontario, California, with deliveries available for the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Contact us today by telephone (1-888-536-5269), email (info@6v2.b95.mytemp.website.com), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more about our menus, our philosophy, and our wide array of services.
