Till now, many of us heard that brown rice is healthier than white rice but black rice is healthiest. This new type of grain is very popular ingredient in Asia but once its consumption was only restricted to nobles. But as soon as people get to know about incredible benefits of black rice, the demand started rising.
It is mainly grown in North and South parts of the country where it is named as Chak Hao and Kavuni respectively.
Nutrition Comparison Between Forbidden Rice, White Rice, Red, and Brown Rice
Black rice is quite healthy because it contains high amount of protein and fiber as compared to other variety of rice. Here’s the nutrition comparison
- Protein- 6.8g in polished white rice, 7.9g in brown rice, 7.0g in red rice and 8.5g in black rice
- Iron- 1.2 g in polished white rice, 2.2g in brown rice, 5.5 g in red rice and 3.5 g in black rice
- Fiber- 0.6 g in polished white rice, 2.8 g in brown rice, 2.0g in red rice, and 4.9 g in black rice
Black rice is also low in calories as compared to other types of rice. That is why health enthusiasts prefer it in their diet. But these nutrients are not the only ones to give black rice a healthy tag.
Also Read: Rice Water: An Ancient Remedy For Healthy Skin & Hair
8 Benefits of Black Rice
- Good for Heart– Black rice contains flavonoids good for heart as found in studies which makes it a good food for people with high cholesterol
- Can reduce risk of cancer– Studies show that a compound called anthocyanins is present in this rice which is related to reducing risk of colorectal cancer
- Improves eye’s health– Lutein and zeaxanthin are present in good quantity in forbidden black rice. These are antioxidants that act as a shield for eyes against radical damage.
- Gluten-free– People with celiac disease can easily consume black rice as they are safe and doesn’t trigger bloating and other side effects.
- Help in weight loss– Its high protein and fiber content quickly make you feel full thus prevent you from eating much. Also, presence of anthocyanins in black rice promote weight loss by reducing body weight.
- Strengthen muscles– Your muscles need protein and black rice is full of it. So, for building muscles choose no food other than cooked black rice.
- Reduce sugar levels– Fibre in black rice helps your body absorb glucose slowly that in directly helps in maintaining sugar level
- Cleanse body- One of the unheard benefits of black rice is that it can detoxify your body.
These benefits of black rice are not the only reason to try it. Its taste will make you skip white or brown rice. It has a mild nutty taste, almost like brown rice, and is very chewy. You can either cook or stir-fry rice and enjoy it as a side dish.
Also Read:North-Eastern Indian Cuisine Is All About “Taste Bhi, Health Bhi”
Black rice is greatly enjoyed as a pudding due to the earthy flavor that it brings to the dessert. But you have to soak the rice before cooking so that it gets boiled perfectly. Hardly it takes 30-35 minutes for cooking black rice.