Red rice has taken the health world by storm!!
Otherwise called matta rice, the presence of anthocyanin has given red colour to the rice and hence it is named as red rice. This red rice is consumed either as polished or partially polished. For weight watchers, red rice could be an amazing food as it can be included in the daily diet. It is however important not to go overboard regarding intake of red rice as it could lead to indigestion also in some persons. Fact is that by including red rice we could have better overall health.
History:
Especially in Asian countries like India, China and Sri Lanka, red rice was cultivated many decades back. In those days, red rice was mostly consumed by royal families and wealthy families as it has high nutritional value.
Various health benefits of eating matta rice or red rice are
Nutrients rich:
Retaining its bran layer, red rice is full of vitamins and minerals etc. It has minerals like magnesium, calcium, and vitamins like vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 etc. It is known that magnesium plays a huge role in nerve and muscle functions whereas calcium is important for bones. Our brain health would get boosted by eating red rice rich in B vitamins.
High fibre content:
It is good to eat red rice because it has high dietary fibre content. This would help in regular bowel movements, prevent constipation etc. We would feel full for a long time by eating red rice. By this, we would not eat excess foods and this would help in managing our weight.
Good for heart health:
By lowering bad cholesterol levels, intake of red rice does superbly. This would help us to have good heart health and chances of getting heart diseases would get lowered. There would be steady BP levels in us due to the presence of magnesium in red rice.
Low glycemic index:
When compared to other types of rice, red rice has a lower glycemic index. By eating red rice, the food would be absorbed slowly and there would not be a rapid spike in the blood sugar levels.
Antioxidant properties:
Anthocyanin that is present in red rice is an antioxidant. It must be noted that these antioxidants fight free radicals that can lead to oxidative stress and cell damage. The presence of antioxidants in red rice would prevent heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases etc.