You already know that brown rice is a nutrition powerhouse compared to white rice. But you can do even better. Discover the benefits of SP Herb Black Rice. But I must warn you ONCE YOU GO BLACK … RICE, YOU NEVER GO BACK!
Brown rice is rich in fibre, vitamin E compounds and cholesterol-lowering antioxidants. Those benefits are all contained in the brown bran. And black rice contains all the benefits of brown rice and MORE! Loaded with antioxidants, Vitamin E, Fiber, iron and valuable anti-inflammatory properties, this special rice is truly remarkable in its abilities.
Where did SP Herb Black Rice Come From?
Thai Black Rice “SUMRUBTHAI BRAND” planted in Phitsanulok and Sukhothai province which in central of Thailand, also grown in the chemical-free area. Grains are selected carefully and milled by removing the outer peel out, without polishing to maintain the highest nutrition level.
What is Black Rice exactly?
‘Black Rice’ is actually more purplish in colour than black; although when uncooked it is very dark in appearance. This type of rice is usually sold ‘un-milled’, with the husk intact. Up until modern times, Black Rice was not easy to come by; it had been highly treasured and protected in Asia for many centuries.
Health Benefits of SP Herb Black Rice
Black rice is the “new” superfood. Black rice offers all of the same health benefits of brown rice but it also packs some serious antioxidants. Because of its dark colour, black rice bran contains the same anthocyanin antioxidants found in blueberries or blackberries.
According to research from the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University, a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants.
Found in dark blue, red and purple foods, anthocyanin antioxidants show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Black rice is often referred to as “purple rice,” since when it’s soaked or cooked it changes from black to a deep purple or burgundy color.
Research into the uses and applications for antioxidants has shown that they are linked to the prevention/treatment of
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer
- Anti-ageing
Black rice is higher in antioxidants than brown or white rice. Black rice also has a low Glycemic Index (GI) of 42.3 (Low GI foods are considered those with a GI of 55 or less) compared to white rice, which has an average GI of 89, and brown rice that has an average GI of 50. Black rice contains eight essential vitamins and minerals, including antioxidant nutrients, riboflavin and zinc. Riboflavin contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, while zinc protects cells from free radicals (those nasty things that wreak havoc in our bodies and cause diseases like cancer).
Out of all the types, however, black rice is found to be the one containing the highest amount of nutrition that helps with growth. Here’s some information on the different rice colours on their content.
- Polished white rice – contains 6.8 protein, 1.2 iron, 0.5 zinc and 0.6 fibre.
- Brown rice – contains 7.9 protein, 2.2 iron, 0.5 zinc and 2.8 fibre
- Red rice – 7.0 protein, 5.5 iron, 3.3 zinc and 2.0 fibre.
- Black rice – 8.5 protein, 3.5 iron, zero zinc and 4.9 fibre.
How to cook Black Rice
The bran or hard outer shell of the black rice is the part with all the great benefits but it also makes the rice a little tricky to cook. Like brown rice, it will take close to an hour although the actual cooking time can be shortened by soaking the rice for an hour, or even overnight, to speed the process.
Black Rice should be cooked with two cups of water to every one cup of rice. As a general rule it will need to cook for half an hour (25-30 min) after soaking or around one hour (60-70 min) if you cook unsoaked rice. Rice cookers can be used to help to cook black rice.
Where can you get it?
SP Herb Black rice is becoming more prominent on supermarket shelves alongside brown and white rice varieties. If your local doesn’t stock it, try a search in our location link to suit your convenience, or order online.