14 Health Benefits of Brown Rice

Brown rice is a terrific meal in itself. It's easy to cook, doesn't cost very much, and can be a very satisfying food, especially with a little soy sauce. Our old friend brown rice is a valuable substance for preventing and combating many types of disease.

Brown rice is a staple in many Asian countries. They eat it as a meal in itself on a regular basis. If you knew how powerful brown rice is as a natural remedy and fortifying food, you would eat it a lot more often.

My system craves brown rice.

Now, I have a fondness for several types of food, but I rarely experience a deep-seated, perpetual craving for anything. In the summer, I seem to crave lemonade and watermelon. I assume it's partially the refreshing taste and high water content, but it also could be that my body is seeking specific nutrients found in lemon and melons.

But my craving for brown rice is year round. I never get tired of it, as I've said before. It always satisfies me, I have no trouble digesting it, and I love the jolt of energy that I derive from this wonderful fuel. Once I eat a bowl of brown rice and soy sauce, I actually feel empowered. There is scientific evidence that supports this feeling.

Do you have any cravings like that, cravings for things that are good for you?

White rice is not as healthy as brown rice, because, by just removing the rice hull, the processing of brown rice retains its nutritive values. The milling and polishing that is done to make white rice robs it of many important B vitamins, half the manganese and phosphorus, and all its dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Even when the white rice is enhanced with added vitamins, it's just not the same as the complete package of value that nature intended.

"Mother Nature Knows Best" is a slogan that has a lot of truth to it. Humans may tamper with nature, modify it and learn to control some of its forces, but in the end, what is natural is generally safer and more effective than what is designed by humans. This is especially true when it comes to food.

As far as I'm concerned, I see no reason to eat white rice, which is brown rice minus some of the essential nutrients. You may enjoy the taste of white rice, and I admit it has a good flavor. However, I'm of the opinion that brown rice tastes even better, and it's a fact that brown rice is much better for you.

Let's take a look at the nutritional and medicinal values of this wonderful food.


14 Health Benefits of Brown Rice


(1) Lowers LDL cholesterol, due to the gamma-oryzanol found in the rice bran oil.

(2) Lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, due to phytic acid, polyphenols, dietary fiber and oil.

(3) May help prevent and treat various forms of cancer,  including pancreatic cancer, thanks to inositol hexaphosphate.

(4) Heart health can be improved, due to high amounts of lignans and subaleurone components in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice.

(4)  Energy is boosted due to manganese and the antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase.

(5) Weight loss can be enhanced by the dietary fiber and that full, satisfied feeling you get after you eat a bowl of brown rice, that tells your system it is now satiated.

(6) Improves colon health and may help to prevent colon cancer, due to its dietary fiber and selenium.

(7) Helps improve liver detoxifying functions and supports the immune system, due to high levels of glutathione peroxidase.

(8) Reduces inflammation, largely due to high selenium content.

(9) Can be useful in treating asthma, thanks to its high levels of magnesium.

(10) May reduce frequency of migraine headaches, due to its high levels of magnesium.

(11) Can calm the nerves, thanks to the magnesium and niacin content.

(12) Can improve bone health, thanks to the magnesium content.

(13) May help females prevent gallstones, due to its contribution of  insoluble fiber.

(14) Improves general overall health due to the interactions of all these substances as they enter and are processed by your system.


Be sure to only cook the amount of brown rice you plan to consume on a given day. It's best to eat it freshly cooked, but you can keep cooked rice in the refrigerator for 2 days if necessary. Uncooked brown rice should be stored in an air-tight, moisture proof container, and can last for about 6 months.

Rice goes well with beans and with vegetables. Be creative. Choose organic brown rice for maximum health benefit and to avoid the chemical pollutants that can be sometimes be found in non-organic brown rice.

I recommend you add organic soy sauce and Hoisin sauce to brown rice.

With the stock market sinking, and all the uncertainty in financial markets in general, there are two things that will always be a wise investment. Invest in education and invest in your health.