How Can Rice Be Beneficial To Your Body’s Health?

Looking for a nutritious and delicious dish for dinner may be a little bit hard. If it must be as healthy and wholemeal as possible, the best options point to a good rice dish.

Rice is one of the most important existing foods in the world. It has been part of our menu for more than 5000 years and its cultivation is closely linked to the food development of various societies.

Its use has been so extensive over the years that today you can elaborate on an infinite number of dishes with rice as an ingredient.

That is why today we will talk about this food, its origins, and nutritional properties and we will give you a delicious recipe to make at home. Also, if you have some doubts about how long to cook rice, you will learn how to do it following the steps of our recipe.

Present in the history of mankind

Rice is the fruit of a cereal plant of Asian origin known as Oryza sativa. This plant began to be cultivated 7,000 years ago in Southwest Asia.

It spread to Egypt and Greece in 350 BC. In the Middle Ages, Arabs took this food into Europe via the Iberian Peninsula, and then it was brought to America in the 16th century.

Today, white rice is so widely used that it is part of national dishes in several countries, such as Arroz Chaufa in Peru, Bibimbap in Korea, Sushi in Japan, or Risotto in Italy.

Discover how can rice be beneficial

A good energy source

Carbohydrates are amongst the main components in rice. The human body metabolizes it and obtains the energy it needs daily, as well as helping proper brain functioning. Besides, minerals (iron, zinc, copper), vitamins (especially those of the B group) and other organic compounds fuel the metabolic activity of all body organs.

Helps losing weight

Since rice can provide the human body with essential nutrients with no negative impact on health, this grain is always recommended as part of a balanced diet. Its minor contents of sodium, fat and cholesterol make rice quite a helpful staple in obesity cases.

Helps keeping hypertension controlled

The low sodium content rice makes it one of the best staples for those who need to control blood-pressure. Sodium is one of the most important factors that impact on blood pressure, since it causes arteries and veins to constrict, something that negatively impacts the entire cardiovascular system. The risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis is always associated with high blood pressure.

Digestive and diuretic benefits

Rice husk, containing a good percentage of fiber, is good for treating dysentery. Besides, diuretic qualities of rice help the body get rid of toxins such as uric acid and body fat. The high fiber content also helps bowel function and reduces the risk of some types of cancer.

Improves metabolism

Apart from being a good source of fiber and carbohydrates, rice provides the body with minerals such as iron,calcium, zinc, and vitamins like thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin D. These compounds are essential for the body’s immune system health and overall function.

Loosely lemon rice recipe

Now you know how important rice is. So perhaps you would want to learn a lemon rice recipe to make for dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water.
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
• 1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped.
• 1 pinch of salt.
• 1 cup white rice.

Preparation

1. Place the water, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a saucepan over high heat, and heat to boiling.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the white rice very well. When the water is boiling, add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Cover with the lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until all the liquid has been completely absorbed.
3. Once the rice is cooked, stir it. Cover the saucepan and let it rest for 5 extra minutes before serving.

Cook’s Tips

• If you want rice to taste more intense, you can add vegetables such as onion, garlic clove, tomato sauce, bell pepper or sweet paprika. It’s recommended to pour the vegetables into the saucepan after 10 minutes of rice cooking.
• For best results, water can be replaced by chicken or vegetable broth. The use of chicken or vegetable broth will make the preparation take longer due to the amount of broth required is triple the volume of rice used.