Why the Healthiest Rice is Called “Taboo Rice”

Have you ever heard of black rice?

Most people are aware of brown rice and white rice, but not black. Black rice has been around for thousands of years.

It was once known as “The Taboo Rice” because it was only for Chinese royalty. It is now becoming more widely available, and it's even healthier than most other types of rice.

The world has over 40,000 different types of rice.

Rice is split into whole grain and white. White rice has the bran removed. This processing leaves it with less nutritional value than the other type, which is whole grain.

Beyond these basic differences, rice is broken down by:

  • how long its grains are
  • what it tastes like
  • what color it is

Rice is a great source of energy. It delivers a lot of nutrients without cholesterol, fat or sodium.

Though this is true of all types of rice, it is even more true of black rice, which has more antioxidants than any other type. Like other dark or purple foods, black rice has a lot of flavonoid phytonutrients. They're high in fiber, iron and copper. It is also a good source of protein.

Like many other whole grains, much of black rice’s nutritional value comes from its outer hull.

It has more anthocyanin antioxidants than almost any other type of food!

Here is the nutritional value of 100gm of uncooked black rice, and how it compares to the same amount of other types of rice:

  • Black rice has 8.5 grams of protein, while white rice has 6.8 grams, brown rice has 7.9 grams and red rice has 7.0 grams
  • Black rice has 3.5 grams of iron, while white rice has 1.2 grams, brown rice has 2.2 grams and red rice has 5.5 grams
  • Black rice has 4.9 grams of fiber, while white rice has 0.6 grams, brown rice has 2.8 grams and red rice has 2.0 grams

Black rice tastes nutty and chewy. It looks striking in a bowl or on a plate, but its real value is in its health benefits.

It's gluten-free and a good source of fiber. This means that it can help improve digestive health. Its phytochemicals help keep healthy cholesterol levels high and lowers bad cholesterol.

Most importantly, the high levels of antioxidant in its hull means that it boosts the immune system.

Antioxidants have been shown to reduce inflammation and protect against free radical damage.

A Few Quick Tips on Black Rice

Black rice is starting to show up on more store shelves. You can find it in health food stores and in the gourmet or healthy food section of most food markets.

It's cooked in the same way as other rice. It is a good idea to rinse it before cooking. After rinsing you can soak it to cut down on cooking time.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy black rice is to make black rice pudding. Here's the recipe:

Yours in health,

Danette

P.S. Please share the news about black rice with your friends and I hope you will leave a comment for me below.