Black rice is a kind of rice used for both medicine and food. It belongs to the category of glutinous rice. Black rice is a kind of characteristic variety formed by the long-term cultivation of gramineous rice.
Black rice is mainly classified as Indica and Japonica. In addition, it is divided into waxy and nonwaxy according to the quality of the grains. The appearance of the black rice is pure black. It has the reputation of “Black Pearl,” “king of rice in the world,” and “forbidden rice.” In addition to porridge, it can also make all kinds of nutritious food and wine.
Black rice is the most common healthy rice in the rice family. Everyone knows that black rice is good for the body, but it is necessary to understand its past life and its use. So let’s take a look at it next.
Why is black rice called forbidden rice
Many people think that rice is white, sometimes brown. However, there are many colors of rice, from white to brown, red, dark purple, and black. Black rice turns dark purple when cooked. Its rich colors make any dish impressive, and the water is deep purple.
Black bran is the favorite dietary fiber of Chinese people. Mainly rice bran provides essential nutrition for them, and more and more people have begun to welcome it. But the ancient time, only the emperors of China were allowed to eat black rice.
The black rice named “forbidden rice” is because only the emperor was allowed to eat it in ancient China because of its rarity and high nutritional value.
When the Greeks conquered the Middle East, black rice was banned. They did so because they believed that rice would help their enemies in war. Others believe that this may also be the reason why black rice is referred to as forbidden rice.
Is black rice a whole grain
If you want to understand whether a food is whole grains, you must first understand the definition of whole grains. Once the inedible husk of any grain has been removed, it can be considered a whole grain. Then it only contains the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.
For example, some of the cereals we eat in routine, such as corn, millet farro, teff, oats, and various soy-based foods, belong to whole grains. The nutrient value of whole grains is vibrant, and it also contains some insoluble cellulose. Therefore, they can protect the digestive system in our body.
If you eat whole grains properly, you can reduce your blood pressure. And also reduce blood concentrations of certain cholesterol and lipids and delays the rate of glucose uptake.
Black rice is a kind of whole grain food with high nutritional value. The reason why black rice looks black is that its skin is rich in anthocyanin pigments. As a result, it has an excellent anti-aging effect.
As a kind of whole grain, black rice contains very high vitamin content and dietary fiber. Also, compared with refined white rice, it has a higher content of vitamin C and some mineral elements.
The dietary fiber contained in black rice can promote gastrointestinal motility in the body. Also, they can slow down the speed of starch digestion. So It is very suitable for diabetics or patients with cardiovascular diseases.
The nutritional content of black rice
| Nutrient | Quantity (Per100g) | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 356 | kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 75.56 | g |
| Protein | 8.89 | g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.2 | g |
| Fat | 3.33 | g |
| Phosphorus | 356 | mg |
| Potassium | 256 | mg |
| Magnesium | 147 | mg |
| Calcium | 12 | mg |
| Niacin | 7.9 | mg |
| Sodium | 7.1 | mg |
| Zinc | 3.8 | mg |
| Manganese | 1.72 | mg |
| Iron | 2.4 | mg |
| Thiamine | 0.33 | mg |
| Vitamin | 0.22 | mg |
| Copper | 0.15 | mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.13 | mg |
| Retinol | 14.3 | mcg |
| Selenium | 3.2 | mcg |
| Carotene | 1.6 | mcg |
Health benefits of black rice
1. A rich source of essential nutrients
Modern nutrition studies have shown that black rice has a higher protein content than regular rice. It has also been found that these proteins are high in amino acids and have a lysine content of 2-2.5 times that of white rice.
In addition, black rice contains more nutrients such as vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12 and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, zinc, and manganese than rice. It also contains carotene, chlorophyll, and flavonoids that are not in regular rice. Therefore, the nutritional value of black rice is higher than that of ordinary rice, which is very suitable for people with weak bodies and deficiencies after disease.
2. Reduces the effects of aging
Black rice is black because it has anthocyanins found only in foods such as blueberries, black wolfberries, and purple potatoes. Anthocyanin is a natural anti-aging nutritional supplement. The antioxidant capacity of black rice is fifty times that of vitamin E. It is the most effective antioxidant found by humans today. In Europe, anthocyanins are called “oral skin cosmetics,” which can help us delay the body’s aging.
3. Helps to good physiological functions of the body
Black rice has excellent physiological functions such as eliminating free radicals, eliminating iron deficiency anemia, anti-stress response, and immune regulation.
4. Relieves iron deficiency anemia
Black rice is rich in iron, and it can relieve iron deficiency anemia. So patients with iron deficiency anemia eat more black rice, making the disease recover faster. Eating black rice with diet therapy has perfect results, especially after stopping the use of iron.
5. Protects the cardiovascular system
Black rice contains active ingredients such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and phytosterols. These special substances can maintain the normal osmotic pressure of blood vessels, increase blood vessel elasticity, and reduce blood vessel fragility. Thus, regular consumption of black rice is beneficial to maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system.
6. Prevents cancer
Black rice can improve the immunity of persons who are doing radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, it is good to eat black rice for cancer-free people but have high-risk factors to effectively prevent cancer. For example, It is suitable for patients with a family genetic history of cancer, long-term smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, and other bad habits.
7. Good for weight lose
Constipation is the most significant barrier to losing weight. Black rice is rich in dietary fiber. They can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, accelerate metabolite, eliminate harmful substances in the intestine and defecate smoothly and easily. Therefore, for people who are losing weight, eating black rice can improve digestion and prevent constipation. As a result, it will be easier to lose weight.
8. Regulates blood sugar
The dietary fiber content in black rice is rich and contains more resistant starch. Its digestion speed is slow, and the glycemic index is only 55. Therefore, it helps to inhibit blood glucose production after eating a meal.
9. Prevents allergies
Black rice is used as an anti-allergic and anti-infective food. It can also be used as a dietary supplement for the additional treatment of chronic infectious diseases. In particular, black rice bran can cure allergies, asthma, or other ailments.
10. Eating black rice for a long time is good for kidney health
In traditional medicine believes that black food has protective benefits for the kidneys. Therefore, it has specific benefits for people with kidney deficiency, hair loss, and gray hair. Although black rice does not directly nourish the kidney from a nutritional point of view.
However, if used for a long time as a dietary source for kidney health or a kidney supplement, it is still a perfect ingredient.
What are the benefits of black rice for babies
Black rice has the function of scavenging free radicals and improving iron deficiency anemia. In addition, it can help infants replenish blood.
Black rice contains various vitamins and trace elements to promote a baby’s physical development and bone growth. In addition, black rice also contains niacin, promoting a baby’s intellectual development.
The rich protein in black rice can promote the metabolism of body cells, upgrade the immune system, improve the baby’s resistance to external factors, and promote the baby’s healthy development.
The healing effect of black rice is good. However, the baby’s gastrointestinal digestion is not good, and he cannot overeat food. Otherwise, he will suffer from indigestion. Therefore, it is best to mix black rice with other foods for babies.
Is black rice good for the skin
There are several benefits for the skin. The anthocyanin pigment in black rice is an antioxidant substance. It can remove harmful free radicals from the human body and prevent skin cells from being damaged and forming melanin. At the same time, It can accelerate skin cell metabolism and promote skin base health.
Secondly, black rice also contains protein, fat, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and other nutrients. They can significantly increase the content of hemoglobin in the human body. Therefore, black rice is good for the skin. It will play a lead role in beautifying the skin.
Will eating black rice increase melanin
Although black rice is black, the black of black rice is caused by anthocyanins. It is a nutrient and does not affect the content of melanin in the human body.
Melanin in the human body is a kind of biological pigment, which can not be increased by food. It is formed by a series of chemical reactions of melanocytes in the basal layer of human skin, So black rice does not increase the body’s melanin.
Will eating black rice cause of black stools
Black rice does not cause melanin formation. But black rice contains pigments, iron, and other substances. It mixes with the feces and removes parts that the body cannot fully absorb. It results in the phenomenon of the blackening of the stool. There is no need to worry too much as it is a standard physiological form.
However, You should note that other disease factors can also lead to the occurrence of black stool. Therefore, if there is still the phenomenon of a black stool after stopping black rice, it is urged to see a doctor in time to find out the cause.
Can pregnant women eat black rice
Of course, pregnant women can eat black rice. Black rice is rich in nutrients and is a good tonic. In addition to its edible value, black rice also has excellent medicinal value. For example, it has a perfect blood-tonifying effect. So pregnant women can eat black rice.
Does black rice digest easily
Black rice is not easy to digest. Therefore, it is advisable to eat less or increase cooking time for people who have a weak spleen, stomach, or chronic gastritis.
Black rice is a kind of miscellaneous grain with rich nutritional value.
But do not overeat, and it won’t be easy to digest. Therefore it causes gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, anorexia, and other difficult symptoms.
Can eat black rice on an empty stomach in the morning
The morning is when the human body has the best digestion and absorption function. Therefore, there is no other food intervention in the fasting state. Thus, the gastrointestinal wall can better absorb the nutrients of black rice.
So that it can invigorate the spleen and stomach, activate blood, and invigorate astringency. However, essence and other effects can be better utilized, so drinking black rice on an empty stomach in the morning has certain benefits.
Read – eat oatmeal on an empty stomach in the morning
Is black rice genetically modified
Anything that looks different is almost not genetically modified. Because genetic modification is promoted to solve the problem of food shortage. The purpose of genetically modified food is not to attract you to eat but to feed more people.
Therefore, most of them only consider the issues that affect yields, such as drought resistance, cold resistance, lodging resistance, insect resistance, and disease resistance. So black rice is not genetically modified.
Precautions for eating black rice
Don’t eat when having dyspepsia
If you have dyspepsia, you should avoid eating black rice as much as possible. Because there is a hard seed coat on the outside of black rice, it is not easy to boil. Therefore, you should soak black rice overnight before cooking. In addition, for those with dyspepsia, black rice may increase the gastrointestinal burden.
Don’t eat when taking tetracycline antibiotics
Do not eat black rice when taking tetracycline antibiotics. Although tetracycline antibiotics are rarely used at present, they are still used in some places because of their anti-Helicobacter pylori effect. But it would help if you did not eat black rice after the use of that medicine. It is because black rice contains metal ions, which can react with tetracycline.
Not suitable for hepatolenticular degeneration patients
Hepatolenticular degeneration is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. It is characterized by liver cirrhosis and basal ganglia damage caused by copper metabolism disorder. Because the amount of copper in black rice is relatively high, it shouldn’t eat.
