By Funke Oshifuye
What’s the big deal about brown rice anyway? There’s a whole lot of difference between brown rice and white rice! Apart from the colour which is obviously different, the process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer- the hull, of the rice kernel which still keeps its nutritional value intact.

The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67 percent of the vitamin B3, 80 percent  of the vitamin B1, 90 percent of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60 percent  of the iron, and all of the dietary fibre and essential fatty acids.

Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be “enriched” with vitamins B1, B3 and iron that has been lost through processing. Due to the fact that brown rice is not refined, it also contains about 83 percent  of its phenolics in the bound form. Phenolics, which includes compounds such as quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, catechins, are powerful antioxidants that work in multiple ways to prevent disease.

You can get 88.0 percent  of the daily value for manganese from just one cup of brown rice. This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system. Manganese is also involved in the production of cholesterol, which is used by the body to produce sex hormones.

Worried about colon cancer? You can never go wrong with brown rice, simply because brown rice packs a double punch by being a concentrated source of the fibre needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells, and being a very good source of selenium, a trace mineral that has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer. You can also lower your cholesterol by eating brown rice just because rice bran oil lowers bad cholesterol.

Consuming at least six servings of whole grains like brown rice in a week is particularly good for post menopausal women. Studies have shown that with high intake of whole grains, the progression of atherosclerosis is slowed down in post-menopausal women.

Rich in magnesium, brown rice is beneficial for people living with diabetes. This is because magnesium acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body’s use of glucose and insulin secretion.

Studies have also shown magnesium is helpful for reducing the severity of asthma, lowering high blood pressure, reducing the frequency of migraine headaches, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Magnesium is also good for healthy bones and helps regulate nerve and muscle tone by balancing the action of calcium.