Top 5 Health Benefits of Brown Rice!

Brown rice, may not seem as huge a popular favourite as it should be; not because it lacks taste by any means but rather because of the extra time it takes to boil. However, the pros do outweigh the cons. So read on for these Top 5 Health Benefits of Brown Rice and learn why you should add it to your next shopping cart!

1. Helps control diabetes
Brown rice is beneficial for diabetics and hyperglycemic individuals. It has a low glycemic index which is helpful in reducing insulin surges and assists in stabilising blood sugar levels in your body. According to a 2006 study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, the total sugar released in vitro was 23.7 percent lower in brown rice compared to milled rice. The effect is partly due to the higher amounts of phytic acid, polyphenols, dietary fibre and oil present.

2. Helps prevent obesity
This rice contains manganese which helps synthesise body fat. The fibre content of brown rice keeps you feeling full, which means less unhealthy food consumption. So after you consume brown rice, instead of snacking or ‘junking out’ soon after, you’ll tend to remain pleasantly satiated or full enough to not want to snack on anything. Consistently following this pattern with brown rice consumption will decrease your chances of becoming obese.

3. Cholesterol control
It’s also a great option for maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol due to the presence of naturally occurring oils. Diets high in whole grains like brown rice can increase the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), or the ‘good cholesterol’, in your body.

4. Helps prevent cancer
Brown rice is helpful in the prevention of leukaemia, colon and breast cancer. The fibre content present has the ability to bind itself to harmful cancer-causing toxins in your body. This prevents toxins from attaching to the walls of your colon and helps eliminate them from your body. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition reports that whole grains and vegetables are the most important dietary providers of plant lignans that help protect against breast cancer and other hormone-dependent cancers.

5. Contains anti-depressant properties
Germinated brown rice has anti-depressant qualities that help in combating anxiety-related issues and disorders. Studies show it contains essential amino acids; glutamine, GABA and glycerin, these help reduce the edge off of anxiety-related or ‘depression messages’ resulting in a calmer state of mind.

As you can see, there are many advantages to eating brown rice and it doesn’t take much effort for you to make the switch if you wanted to, given the upsides of long-term optimising your health with its life-extending properties and you may find it actually tastes fuller-bodied than its milled counterpart. Give it a go! Tried it? what difference did it make for you. Let us know in the comments below, join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! (Check out our other Top 5 articles to help you Keep YOUR Fit ON!)

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