Have you enjoyed a meal with Black Rice yet? Well, its definitely a rare trifecta of healthiness, deliciousness & it looks great on any plate! Its a rich, dark & purple colour with many locations around the world having their own “common names” such as purple rice, forbidden rice & emperors rice. Black rice has a nutty taste & there is even a slight sweetness, but its the health benefits of the anthocyanin pigments that I really want to share with you today.
Oryza sativa (black rice) has been in Asian culinary culture for thousands of years, like 7000-9000 years in fact! Cultivated from many colours of rice, the black rice quickly became a favourite special food for the wealthier groups (enter the name ‘forbidden rice’), and it became forbidden to all who were not of nobility or royalty, thankfully today black rice is enjoyed around the world!
In recent times much attention has been focused on plant foods that may be beneficial to our health by preventing or reducing our risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) diseases & improving cholesterol levels. Black rice is a special cultivar of rice that contains rich sources of what is known as anthocyanins (rich in anti-oxidants & anti-inflammatory actions), which is regarded as a health-promoting food. Black rice is full of protein, extremely high in iron & gluten free, it is also a low GI food.
A recent study showed that black rice prevents metabolic syndrome (or syndrome x), which is actually a “cluster” of conditions that increase our risk of heart disease, stroke & type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome includes high blood pressure, high blood sugars, excess body fat around the waste & abnormally high cholesterol levels. Aside from a large waste size, most of the disorders I have mentioned actually have no symptoms. Weight loss, exercise & a healthy diet can dramatically help to reduce the long term dangerous effects of Metabolic syndrome, and if not then your GP is guaranteed to prescribe pharmaceutical medications (remembering these have potentially nasty side-effects). As a Naturopath, its my responsibility to show you alternatives – ENTER Black Rice!
The anthocyanin-rich extracts from black rice is considered as a healthier alternative to white rice, and its the dark purple colour (also due to the anthocyanins) that make it highly nutritious. Naturally occurring plant products are also getting increased attention for the prevention and/or intervention of the early stages of cancer’s & its the progression before invasive malignant diseases occur that are being increasingly looked at. With the extensive investigations, showing promising results from foods with anthocyanins against different cancers including leukaemia, liver cancer, colon cancer & breast cancer. As we all know, the major drawback from many effective cancer chemotherapy drugs are systemic toxicity & drug resistance, so particular dietary supplements can possibly improve the effects of these anti-cancer drugs, Scientists with this knowledge are even working on creating supplements from black rice to support people on chemotherapy for this specific reason!
Who knew that such a simple grain like black rice could be so nutritious to us humans!
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