Are you a rice lover looking for a healthier alternative? Can’t find a better alternate to brown rice? The answer is hidden in the post. Keep reading to find out what it is!
Contrary to its name, wild rice is not actually rice. It is a form of marsh grass that produces edible seeds. Normally, the North American indigenous populations in the Great Lakes area harvest wild rice and sell it in specialty stores. Lately, cultivated forms have also found their way into the market shelves. Wild rice is superior for its high protein and carbohydrate content without adding too many calories.
A cup of cooked wild rice (165gm) comprises 6.5gm of protein, 35gm of carbohydrates and just 166 calories. It also contains very little fat at 0.6gm while adding a considerable 3gm of dietary fibre. Wild rice is very low in sugar at 1.2gm and is free from gluten and cholesterol. Furthermore, the grain is packed with a range of vitamins and minerals (1).
Read on to see how it can work wonders on your health.
Wild rice benefits are many compared to its white counterpart. It offers better quality protein than white rice because it contains essential amino acids such as methionine and lysine (2). It is known to provide double the amount of proteins and fibres for half the amount of calories that white rice offers.
Wild rice provides minimum of 300mg of phosphorous in a 100gm serving. The mineral is present in every cell of your body and helps with the formation of teeth and bones (3). It enables fat and carbohydrate metabolism. This is required for cell repair, growth and maintenance.
Eating 100gm of wild rice can contribute the presence of 100mg of magnesium to the body. The mineral helps regulating numerous biochemical reactions in the body such as the functioning of muscle and nerve; and blood pressure control (4).
Consuming wild rice offers you supply of potassium anywhere between 55-300mg, helping you maintain excellent health. Potassium not only builds protein and muscles, but also controls the heart’s electrical activity (5). The mineral maintains the body’s acid-base balance, fuelling a healthy growth.
Wild rice has about 20mg of calcium in a single 100gm serving, which can be vital in strengthening of bones. Additionally, calcium is also required for signal transmission in your brain and the release of enzymes and hormones (6).
Wild rice has both minerals in about 5mg quantities and is highly beneficial for your blood. While iron helps the blood with better oxygen transport, zinc plays a role in improving the immunity. It encourages cell division and wound healing (7).
Vitamin B1 and B2, or thiamine and riboflavin, are essential for red blood cell formation and energy production from carbohydrates (8), (9). They are also necessary for cell multiplication. Wild rice aids this process with its 0.45mg thiamine and 0.63mg riboflavin content.
At 6mg of niacin per 100gm of wild rice, one can ensure good skin, digestive system and nerve function. Niacin also helps in converting food to energy (10).
The health benefits of wild rice do not seem to end with the wide range of vitamins and minerals. Wild rice has more antioxidants than processed rice. This ensures that the body is able to fight free radicals better, thereby protecting against many diseases.
It is best suited for diabetics as it gives very less sugars in return for high nutrition and fibre value. The combination keeps the digestion at an even level, helping maintain optimal blood glucose levels. Needless to say, wild rice is good for the digestive system and weight loss too.
Though the rice variety is rare and takes longer to cook, it is definitely a healthy diet to consider. Did you find the benefits useful? If yes, please let us know in the comments sections below.