Milling is the process that turns brown rice into white
rice by removing the outer layer known as the bran layer
- this alters the nutritional value of the rice. The
complete milling process that creates white rice from
brown rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the
vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the
manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and
all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. In
short, brown rice is
a fiber-rich whole grain whereas white rice
is simply a refined and nutritionally depleted processed
food.
In
March of 2006, research reported in the journal
Agricultural Research, Nancy Keim and a team at the USDA
ARS Western Human Nutrition Center studied 10 women age
20-45 who ate a whole grain diet for three days, then
ate the same foods but with refined grains in place of
whole grains. Blood samples at the end of each 3-day
period showed that the refined grains diet caused a
significant increase in triglycerides and a worrisome
protein called "apolipoprotein CIII" (apoCIII), both of
which have been associated with increased risk of heart
disease.
At the
University of Utah, in a study of over 2000 people, a
team led by Dr. Martha Slattery found that high intakes
of whole grains, such as brown rice, reduced the risk of
rectal cancer 31%. They also found that a high-fiber
diet, 34 grams or more of fiber per day, reduced rectal
cancer by an impressive 66%. The findings were published
in the February 2004 issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.
In a
Study presented at American Heart Association
Conference, March 2006,
overweight children, age 9-15, spent two
weeks on an all-you-can-eat diet of whole grains,
fruits, vegetables and lean protein, while exercising
2.5 hours each day. University of California researchers
led by Dr. James Barnard reported that in just two weeks
the children's cholesterol levels dropped an average of
21%, while insulin levels fell 30%
As we
approach the New Year we encourage parents everywhere to
consider guiding themselves and their children down a
healthier path by replacing processed and refined grains
with healthy, natural whole grains such as brown rice.
The healthy habits that your children learn from you
while young will stay with them and be passed on for
generations to come.
This
is one small change that can make a BIG difference.
