Rice: health benefits and harms

Basmati and jasmine, white and brown, long-grain and round-grain – the stores offer us a wide range of rice, in the variety of which it is easy to get lost. Which variety is best for porridge, and which one should be left for pilaf? How is sushi rice different? And, most importantly, which rice is the most useful?

We used to consider this cereal a valuable source of complex carbohydrates, but is it really so useful? Is rice recommended for everyone? Increasingly, it is said that it has a high glycemic index, and it is worth reducing its consumption. To understand all these issues, we turned to gastroenterologists, nutritionists and nutritionists.

The history of rice in nutrition

Rice has a thousand year history. His homeland is the countries of Southeast Asia. It is believed that it originated from a wild grass growing at the foot of the Eastern Himalayas and in the vicinity of the Ayeyarwaddy and Mekong rivers. According to another version, it spread from the southern part of India to the north of the country and further to China.

The oldest traces of rice cultivation date back to the middle of the fifth millennium BC (Thailand). Gradually, it spread throughout Indochina, Southeast and East Asia and became the dominant agricultural crop there.

Rice came to Central Asia and Europe during the campaigns of Alexander the Great, however, Arab travelers also contributed to its wide distribution. They brought cereals to Egypt, Morocco and further to Europe. Already from there, in the era of great geographical discoveries, rice came to the New World. In Our Country, it began to be cultivated at the beginning of the XNUMXth century.

Rice has become one of the staple foods for many nations. For example, in India, it occupies a quarter of all cultivated areas. This cereal is often used in many rituals and ritual dishes, for example, kutya and sochiva.

Composition and calories

The benefits of rice

Rice is a source of complex carbohydrates, important amino acids, vitamins and trace elements. It contains B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) that affect the nervous system. Also in rice there are vitamins PP, E, carotene, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, calcium, manganese, copper, selenium and iodine.

Rice is easy to digest and has less saturated fat than other foods. Therefore, it is good for heart health, says gastroenterologist, nutritionist Alexey Tsys. Rice also has a long chain of complex carbohydrates that take some time to break down. Thus, when using it, you keep the feeling of satiety for a longer time.

Rice is ideal for people with gluten intolerance. Allergies to this product are practically not found. gastroenterologist-hepatologist Olga Arisheva.

Rice, namely liquid cereals based on it or rice water, is recommended to be used for gastritis. According to Olga Arisheva, such nutrition will help reduce the acidity of the stomach.

Elena Evdokimova, endocrinologist, dietitian, nutritionist at Medicina JSC (Roitberg Clinic), member of the Association of Endocrinologists, member of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) draws attention to another valuable property of rice: it is useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by diarrhea or loose stools.

If you are choosing rice to lose weight, take a look at brown rice. According to nutritionists, brown rice is a great source of fiber, which helps improve gut health and boost metabolism.

White rice in the process of cleaning from the outer shells loses some of the fiber, so it is recommended to combine it with vegetables, herbs and protein foods. According to nutritionists and nutritionists, protein and fiber from vegetables slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, which makes white rice as healthy as brown rice.

Rice harm

Despite all the advantages of rice, some people should reduce the amount of this cereal eaten, or even abstain. Rice, especially its white varieties, has a high glycemic index and quickly raises blood glucose levels. White rice is contraindicated for people with diabetes. Elena Evdokimova draws attention to this.

Who else should not eat a lot of rice, says Olga Arisheva:

– Rice is not recommended for those who are prone to constipation, as it has a strong “fixing” effect.

The use of rice in cooking

Rice is used in the preparation of many dishes: porridge, side dish, pilaf, paella, risotto, sushi and rolls. It goes well with meat, fish and vegetables.

Pilaf with dried fruits

Pilaf with dried fruits instead of meat – an original and tasty dish

Rinse the rice well until the water runs clear. Rinse dried fruits and pour warm water for 10 minutes. Wash and cut vegetables: onion – into cubes, carrots – into thin sticks or grate on a coarse grater.

In a cauldron, heat the oil, fry the onion until transparent, add carrots to it. Stirring, fry vegetables for 5-7 minutes. If there is no cauldron, you can take a thick-walled pot or a deep frying pan that holds heat well.

Dry dried fruits, cut prunes and dried apricots into thin strips, add dried fruits to vegetables, add cumin or coriander there. Stir and keep on fire for another 1-2 minutes.

Put washed rice on top of vegetables and dried fruits, spread it evenly, salt to taste, add salt, paprika and turmeric. Carefully, so that the rice does not mix with vegetables and dried fruits, add water (a finger above the rice). Cover with a lid and cook pilaf for 15-20 minutes over high heat, adding water if necessary. Then turn off the heat and keep the pilaf under the lid for another 10 minutes.

Jambalaya

This exotic Creole name hides a simple and democratic dish. It is based on rice, tomato paste and any sausages

Prepare vegetables: chop onion, garlic, bell pepper and peeled tomatoes – it is easy to remove the skin from them, after dousing the tomatoes with boiling water.

Sausages (you can replace them with ham or boiled sausage) peel, chop, fry and set aside.

Put the onion and bell pepper in the same pan, fry for 3-4 minutes, add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and tomato paste, mix. After a while, add sausages and mix again.

Pour rice, salt a little, mix, pour hot water into the pan (1,5-2 cm above the rice). Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender (about 20 minutes).

The finished dish can be sprinkled with herbs.

Types of rice

Rice differs in grain shape, processing method and varieties.

1. According to the shape of the grains, rice is divided into long-grain, medium-grain and round-grain.

• Long-grain rice has the second name “indica”. Its length is about 6–8 mm, and its width is about a quarter of the length. It is considered universal. Such rice does not stick together. If you want to get crumbly cereal for a side dish, you should choose it.
• Medium grain rice is shorter and wider, 5–6 mm long and 2 mm wide. Such grain sticks together during cooking, and the dish itself is more tender. It is best used for soups, pilaf, risotto and paella.
• Round grain rice is even shorter. It has more starch. Sushi, pies, viscous cereals, puddings, casseroles and various desserts are prepared from it.

2. According to the processing method, rice can be polished, unpolished and steamed.

• Polished or processed rice is the familiar white. The shape of the grains can be any. It is inferior to the unprocessed one in terms of the content of vitamins and microelements, but it is more convenient and easy to prepare.
• In unpolished rice (brown, red or black), the shell is preserved. It contains more useful substances, it is recommended for dietary nutrition. But it also takes twice as long to cook, and in finished form it is not as soft as peeled rice.
• Steamed rice undergoes a special steam treatment before it reaches the shelves. Due to this, useful substances from the shell penetrate into the grain. Only after this is the rice polished. Such cereals are cooked a little longer than white varieties, but it turns out soft and crumbly.

3. There are many varieties of rice. Here is a far from complete list: basmati, jasmine, red rice, wild rice, arborio, camolino.

How to select and store rice

The choice of cereal depends on what kind of dish you plan to cook. Round-grain white rice is useful if you want to cook porridge, and for pilaf, it is better to choose medium-grain or long-grain. If you care about your health, opt for steamed or unpolished rice.

Buy cereals not in large packaging and bags, but in small transparent packages: this way you can see the quality of the grain. And don’t forget to check the date of manufacture.

For storage of rice, it is better not to use factory packaging, but glass or tin, tightly closed jars. Thus, you will extend the shelf life of the cereal and protect it from bugs. Banks must be kept in a dark, cool and dry place. The shelf life of rice is up to 18 months.