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Debate on rice: Make informed nutritional choices to gain maximum benefit from the food grain-Nandita Iyer
-The Economic Times


It's hard to think of a cereal that is more intrinsic to Indian culture than rice. It journeys with us for a whole lifetime - with the first solid food a baby is traditionally fed during the annaprashan ceremony to sprinkling it over a deceased person's mouth during the last rites. A vast majority of the Indian population eats rice as its staple grain, similar to Asian countries such as China and Japan, where it is almost always the main part of a meal.

However, opinions about the grain are sharply polarised - while some nutritionists advocate it over wheat because it is gluten free, a far larger number recommend avoiding it altogether because it is considered to be full of empty calories that fuel obesity and increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. So what is the truth about rice?

Are some varieties better than others? To get to the bottom of the debate on the nutritive properties of rice, it's important to start with a single grain. The outermost layer of the rice grain is known as the husk and removed during milling. The second layer called bran is highly nutritious and contains fibre, proteins and minerals. It can be light brown, black or red in colour, which gives the unpolished grain its characteristic colour.

This kind of rice is considered nutritionally superior to polished white rice. Milling the grain further removes the bran layer to reveal the endosperm, which contains carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids. A rice grain stripped down to its endosperm is what we know as white rice. The degree of processing determines the colour of the grain.

Colour Concerns

The process that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin BC content, 80% of vitamin B3 content, 80% of vitamin B6, 50% of the manganese and phosphorus content and 60% of iron, along with dietary fibre and essential fatty acids. So it is no surprise that brown rice is much more nutritious. However, the bran contains essential oils, which makes it more prone to spoilage than white rice, which has had the bran removed. Also, the antioxidant compounds called phytates present in the bran can hinder the absorption of important nutrients such as iron. This is a minor drawback of brown rice, but not significant enough to take away from its other benefits.

"Cooking reduces the phytate content of brown rice to some extent," says Sheela Krishnaswamy, a Bengaluru based nutrition and wellness consultant. "If brown rice was really problematic for health, it would not have been widely used many decades ago. Also, since brown rice has more nutrition than white rice, some kind of a balance is struck." Where does that leave white rice? In its defence, it is not completely devoid of nutrients. It is an important source of carbohydrates (amounting to 77.5%) and high quality protein (about 4 gm per cup).

However, protein from white rice is incomplete because it does not contain adequate quantities of an essential amino acid called lysine. Eating foods rich in lysine helps the body procure this missing essential amino acid. Some of these foods are beans lentils, soya products, nuts and dairy products. This also explains why combinations like dal and rice or yoghurt and rice are nutritionally complete. There is another variety of rice - parboiled rice.

Here, rice that is still in the husk is partially boiled and dried. Nutrients from the husk and bran are allowed to seep into the endosperm. Parboiled rice is used almost daily in south India and also for making the batter for idlis or dosas. The American Diabetes Association lists it as a low glycaemic index food, or one that takes longer to digest, thereby preventing a sudden spike in blood sugar levels.

Weighty Matters

One of the most debated aspects of rice is its association with weight gain. "A lot of weight loss clinics and self-styled experts do not permit the consumption of rice because they believe it's difficult to quantify rice intake, often leading to excess intake," says Krishnaswamy. The truth is that it is often tougher to practise portion control with rice. In rice eating communities, three or four dishes are typically paired with the grain, making it difficult to keep track of the quantity being consumed. However, Krishnaswamy says it is not true that rice has higher calorie burden than other grains.

According to an article published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in October 2009, "Americans who eat rice obtain a smaller portion of their daily calories from fat and have a lower rate of saturated fat consumption than those who do not eat rice." The study also found that people who eat rice consume more fibre, vegetables, iron and potassium than their counterparts who shun it. In counties such as Japan and south Korea, rice is typically paired with protein rich foods such as fish and meat, which is why obesity rates in these predominantly rice eating societies are very low.

Fight Against Wheat

In a world where gluten intolerance is on the rise, rice seems like the logical alternative to wheat. Since rice is naturally gluten free, it can be a primary source of carbohydrates. It is also usually free of any stomach irritants or allergens, which is why it is the safest weaning food for babies. However, unpolished rice is a more nutritionally complete alternative to wheat than white rice is. Also, since the protein content of rice is less than that of wheat, it's wise to combine the grain with other protein rich foods. The supremacy of rice as one of the country's staple foods is unlikely to be challenged. However, eat it mindfully and make informed nutritional choices to gain the maximum benefit from this versatile grain.

(Content Courtesy: Good Food Magazine India)