Red Rice: Benefits & Side-effects

Red Rice: Benefits & Side-effects If you are someone who is trying to ditch those extra pounds, you’ll perhaps come across one of the commonest advises from various people; i.e. to stop eating rice completely. But have you ever tried to find out why actually they give such an advice. Why is rice considered to be the main culprit thwarting all weight loss endeavors?

To understand the role of rice in weight loss, you first need to understand certain basic facts about rice eating. Rice is a food grain with a significantly high glycemic index and that actually gives rice the bad name…but rice is in no way a fattening food grain. It is in fact a very healthy source of carbohydrates. However, due to its high glycemic index rice may add lots of excess glucose to your bloodstream, leading to sudden sugar spikes and eventually causing the excess sugar to get stored as ‘fat’ in your body. Also, since rice gets digested very quickly you start feeling the hunger pangs soon after consuming rice and that may incite you to snack with unhealthy, calorie-rich food items ultimately causing you to pack in extra calories in your body.

So, if you are planning to lose weight rice may not help you much with weight loss. However, when it comes to losing weight what matters most is the type of rice you are consuming and the portion size of rice you are consuming.

There are many varieties of rice available. Among all other varieties, Red rice is the one that’s considered the most beneficial from weight loss perspective.

What is Red Rice?

Before we go into the depths of the pros and cons of red rice, let’s first understand what red rice actually is…well, Red rice is a kind of rice that comes with a rich crimson hue. This bright rich color of red rice is due to the presence of a specific antioxidant compound known by the name of Anthocyanin. This compound is said to help a lot in healthy weight management. This explains why red rice has become a big hit in the fitness industry of late. Chefs, celebs and even commoners are all loud with praises of ‘Red Rice’; the recent buzz word of the diet world. Many weight loss recipes and diet cookbooks on red rice-based culinary preparations have come up in the market already and are being shared generously on the various social media platforms as well. The fan base for red rice is expanding rapidly as many have come to realize its vast assortment of benefits.

Weight Loss Benefit of Red Rice: How does it help?

Red Rice is said to promote weight loss and that’s the reason it’s getting all the attention currently. Here are some of the notable weight loss benefits of red rice : 1. Zero fat rice Fat content in red rice is just ‘Nil’. Thus, consuming red rice never adds to your body fat and never causes you to gain in weight.

2. High fiber rice Red rice is loaded with both soluble as well as insoluble fiber. In red rice, the outer layer of the rice is kept intact and that is where all the fiber comes from. A quarter of a cup of this crimson grain supplies your body with as much as 2 grams of fiber and that makes 8 percent of what your diurnal fiber requirement should be. The high fiber content of red rice helps in weight management in a two-fold way. Firstly fiber helps to eliminate toxins from your body and that leads to speeded up metabolism, improved digestion, better food absorption and less of fat storage. Fiber also keeps you full for long and that way stops you from overeating by curbing your appetite. That again stops you from becoming fat.

3. Metabolism boosting rice Red rice has a high content of Manganese and manganese is an amazing metabolism boosting essential mineral. Thus, intake of red rice makes your metabolism race like anything and you burn more stored fat than usual.

4. Rice with Anti-inflammation properties Inflammation within the body often interferes with the body’s metabolic rate and leads to obesity or weight gain. The anti-inflammatory properties of red rice can check the inflammatory responses within the body and reverse inflammation induced obesity.

Other Health Benefits of Red Rice Apart from weight loss, the nutrient dense red rice also comes with several other benefits for your heath as discussed below: 1. The high content of magnesium in red rice improves the functioning of your respiratory system and keeps issues like asthma at bay.

2. High iron content in red rice boosts oxygen absorption, improves oxygen supply to the body cells and in turn improves the functioning of our circulatory system. It keeps away issues like anemia.

3. Red rice is an amazing immune system booster. It comes with a wide range of vital nutrients that nourish your immune system thereby helping you fight against diseases effectively. The nutrient rich attribute of red rice also reverses issues like malnutrition.

4. Being rich in a vast array of antioxidants red rice acts as a shield against a host of health issues such as premature aging, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, cancer and the like. The antioxidants in red rice also act as an amazing detox.

5. Lowering of LDL or Bad cholesterol is another very important health benefit of red rice.

Monacolin K, an active ingredient is red rice is considered to be a cholesterol lowering drug equivalent. By lowering LDL red rice can improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart failures.

Side-effects if any‌ Though the list of Red rice benefits goes on and on, some side effects of red rice have been reported as well. Dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal issues such as stomach ache, heartburn, flatulence, bloating are some of the side effects some may face after consuming red rice. In extreme cases allergies may break out or one may develop muscle cramps or toxic liver conditions. To evade the unwanted side-effects, one should always adhere to the permissible quantities and get the rice from a reputed retailer only.