Brain, Bones, Heart and More:

Rice is the Foundation for Healthier Eating

New York, NY, July 21, 2004 — Rice is an ancient grain that sustains over two-thirds of the world’s population. It offers a myriad of health benefits for just about everything from the brain to bones to preventing birth defects, so carbohydrate-conscious consumers may want to think twice before eliminating this wholesome grain from their diets. In fact, cutting wholesome grains like rice out of one’s diet may have unexpected health consequences due to insufficient nutrient intake. “Carb-counters” may be surprised to learn that rice is a nutrient-dense food that provides over 15 nutrients and is especially rich in B-vitamins, potassium, magnesium and iron. Brown rice also contains fiber and selenium, a potent antioxidant. What’s more, a half-cup serving of white rice has only 103 calories and is virtually fat-free, making it an excellent choice for calorie-conscious consumers.

Grains of Energy

Like all cereal grains, rice is rich in complex carbohydrates. These are the carbohydrates that experts recommend as the foundation of a healthy diet because they provide the body with the energy it needs to move, blink or flex a muscle. For optimal health, nutrition experts recommend that individuals consume 45 to 65 percent of total calories from carbohydrates daily, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates rather than simple carbohydrates found in refined sources. Brown and white rice have moderate glycemic index values, so they do not cause blood sugar levels to “spike and crash” but are burned slowly for longer-lasting energy. Without adequate complex carbohydrates, consumers can feel rundown instead of energized. Rice is actually a staple in the diets of most Olympians, proving that those who seek energy go for grains.

Brain-Booster

The brain and nervous system rely solely on carbohydrates for energy. As a result, the Institute of Medicine has determined that the minimum daily intake of carbohydrate should be 130 grams per day. (With about 22 grams of carbohydrate per half-cup serving of cooked rice, it would take six servings of rice to equal what the brain and nervous system use daily were rice to be one’s only source of carbohydrates.) Carbohydrates elevate the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, which improves mood and helps control the hormones that regulate appetite. “Our research consistently has shown that without adequate carbohydrates, people get quite cranky and can’t think as clearly or handle stress as well,” noted Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., director, Harvard University TRIAD Weight Management Center and research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Heart-Saver & Bone-Builder

Heart disease kills more Americans than any other illness. Diet and exercise are significant contributors to the prevention and treatment of the disease. Rice can be part of a heart-healthy diet because it is virtually fat free, cholesterol- and sodium-free, low in calories and contains vitamins that may help fend off heart attacks and stroke. Rice is a good source of folic acid, the B-vitamin that helps to reduce homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to heart disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported that, since the inception of the folic acid grain fortification program of 1998, blood homocysteine levels have been lowered by 14 percent, thereby reducing the number of deaths from heart disease by nearly 50,000 annually. Recently, it has been found that folic acid (along with other B-vitamins such as B6 and B12) also may play a key role in bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Preliminary research shows that homocysteine might cause bone loss by interfering with the way new bone forms. A healthy diet that includes rice rich in B- vitamins coupled with daily exercise is one of the best ways to maintain bone health.

Fertility and Birth Defects

Enriched grains also have played an important part in reducing the number of neural tube defects in the United States. The CDC reported this year that the folic acid fortification program reduced the incidence of some of the major defects by nearly 30 percent since 1998. In addition, the CDC also stated that nearly 70 percent of all spina bifida and encephalopathy could be prevented if women consumed the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Men can benefit from rice too; research shows that men who have more folate, zinc and selenium in their diets may have healthier sperm. So before couples even begin to think about becoming pregnant, they need to eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of good sources of folic acid, such as enriched rice.

Foundation Builder

There is no one-size-fits-all diet, but rice is the grain that fits all diets. It is the perfect grain to help form the foundation of a healthier lifestyle. For example, rice fits the recommended, traditional, high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet but it can also be part of the popular carbohydrate-counter’s needs. In fact, due to its modest glycemic index value (brown rice has a GI of 50; enriched white rice, 64), rice is included in the second phases in the Atkins and South Beach diets. And for those individuals who suffer from food allergies and intolerances, rice is one of the most hypoallergenic foods.

The USA Rice Federation is the national advocate for all segments of the rice industry, conducting programs to build awareness of the many attributes of rice and increasing worldwide demand for U.S. rice. Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Missouri produce high-quality varieties of short, medium and long grain rice, as well as specialty rices including jasmine, basmati, arborio, red aromatic and black japonica, among others.

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