Rice is one of the healthiest foods we can eat, which is why we are going to take a look at the countries that produce the most rice in the world. If you’re not a big fan of rice in a meal, we hope this article can change your mind, and make you eat it more often as we are going to explain why the consumption of rice is so good for our health.
First of all, let’s explain the difference between brown rice and white rice. It is common knowledge that brown rice is healthier, but not many people know why and what is the actual difference between them. What is even scarier, there are people who think that brown rice and white rice are the two different types of rice. They are the same, but what differentiate them in the end is the milling process. While brown rice has only husk (or hull) removed, in order to get white rice bran must also be removed. That is why the brown rice is also referred as the whole grain rice.
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And why is brown rice healthier then? Because together with bran some vital nutrients end up removed from the rice. According to the data from the The World’s Healthiest Foods the process that creates white rice “destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids”. If you are thinking – why then they do it? Why people even create white rice and not just brown one? Well, because it takes less time to cook white rice, and for some it tastes better. There is no good enough reason that can justify why people have a tradition of destroying perfectly healthy food with a lot of essential nutrients.
OK, so white rice is not unhealthy, it just isn’t healthy as the brown one? Well, yes and no. Yes, as in – white rice is not having a bad effect on our body, it is not toxic. No, as in – taking less essential nutrients than it is needed is one of the main causes of many diseases. But also, you should be aware of the study that suggests a connection between consumption of white rice and an increased risk of diabetes, because white rice raises blood-sugar levels more rapidly than the brown rice.
If this wasn’t enough to convince you to switch to brown rice, then let’s say more about the nutrients it provides us with. Brown rice is rich in manganese, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and vitamin B3. Regular consumption of brown rice will bring positive effects to your cardiovascular system, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, skin health, etc. If this is not enough for you to realize how valuable food brown rice is, then read more here. If you like to learn more about healthy vegetables, be sure to read our article on 8 countries that produce the most potatoes in the world, too.
