Oryza sativa, Linn.(Brown Rice)

What is Brown Rice? Brown Rice is a whole grain cereal produced by removing only the hull or husk using mortar-and pestle or rubber roller (dehuller) milling machine. It is known as brown, unpolished rice. The bran layer that is not removed gives the grain its brown color and retains its high levels of soluble fiber, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals. When the bran is removed, it becomes well-milled or white rice.
Nutritional and Health Aspects. Brown rice is considered to be a lost health food. The past decade has been a boost in brown rice research revealing more of its nutritional characteristics and reviving interest in promoting it as main staple. Accordingly, brown rice is superior to milled rice in terms of protein, fat, B vitamins, dietary fiber, vitamin E, minerals, and antioxidants.


Nutrient Composition of Brown Rice and Milled Rice
Nutrient                                            Amount per 100g at 14%moisture
 _____________________________Brown Rice                  Milled Rice
   Energy Content (kJ)                          1520 - 1610               1460 -1560
   Energy Content (kcal)                          363 - 385                   349 - 373
   Crude Protein (g)                                 7.1 - 8.3                     5.8 - 7.1
   Crude Fat (g)                                       1.6 - 2.8                     0.3 - 0.6
   Crude Ash (g)                                      1.0 - 1.5                     0.3 - 0.8
   Total Dietary Fiber (g)                          2.9 - 4.5                     0.7 - 2.7
   Crude Fiber (g)                                    0.6 - 1.0                     0.2 - 0.5
   Available Carbohydrates (g)                  73 - 87                       77 - 89
   Sugars (g)                                            0.8 - 1.4                     0.1 - 0.5
   Phytic Acid (g)                                     0.4 - 0.9                     0.1 - 0.2
   Phosphorus (g)                                    0.17-0.43                   0.08-0.15
   Phytic Acid P (g)                                 0.13-0.27                   0.02-0.07
   Iron (mg)                                             0.2 - 5.2                     0.2 -2.8
   Zinc  (mg)                                            0.6 - 2.8                     0.6 - 2.3
   Thiamin (mg)                                        0.3 - 0.6                     0.02-0.17
   Riboflavin (mg)                                     0.04-0.14                   0.02-0.06
   Niacin (mg)                                          3.5 - 6.2                     1.3 - 2.4
   Folate (ug)                                            16 - 20                        6 - 9
   Vitamin E (mg)                                      0.6 - 2.5                <0.10 - 0.30 
adopted from Juliano, 2010

        Because of its bran, brown rice carries more nutrients than white rice. When whole grain is mill-polished, it loses much of its original nutrient content. Moreover, brown rice has y-oryzanol,
 an element that helps reduce plasma cholesterol but increase high -density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and acts as an antioxidant.
        Several studies assert that brown rice is beneficial to health. Health experts claim that a diet with whole
grains like brown rice, can reduce the blood pressure of non-hypertensive people with high cholesterol and risks of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, and stroke.
         Brown rice, too, has plenty of phenol, which is said to be effective in fighting cancer (Hudson and colleagues, 2000) and in reducing the risk of diabetes (Harvard School of Public Health, 2010).