(examiner.com) Americans know brown rice is good for heart health, but a new study suggests it may be even healthier than originally thought. Researchers at Temple University have found a compound in brown rice may lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of plaque build-up in the arteries, which in turn decreases the possibility of a heart attack.
Brown rice vs. white rice
White rice is milled to remove the husk, bran and germ from the grain. While this helps reduce spoilage, it also removes many of the healthy nutrients and compounds found in rice.
Brown rice has the hard husk removed, but the other layers remain intact. It is one of these layers that became the focus for the Temple University study.
Cardiovascular benefits of brown rice
Researchers discovered the subaleurone layer in brown rice (between the white and brown layers) contains a substance important to cardiovascular health. This substance counteracts a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict, which pushes up blood pressure and makes it easier for plaque and clots to form. High blood pressure and plaque build-up are key factors in heart disease and heart attack.
The subaleurone layer is removed in white rice when the grains are polished after milling. This may partially explain why countries such as Japan, where incompletely milled rice is consumed on a daily basis, have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and heart attack deaths as compared to the US where white rice is more popular.
(9 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5)
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Frankly, I do not appreciate this kind of waffling, no information, article.
Yeah, it may. And then again, it may not.
Well, we already know brown rice is good for us, so where’s the harm? If they were selling drugs or something . . .
Very informative and important!
If the suggested mechanism is true, then a new class of drugs, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, will do a much better job. In a sense, this is a mild version of a drug. Let’s not go overboard and throw the baby with the water – not ALL drugs are bad, although most of them are, for sure.
D. Carestia all research and all treatment falls into the slot you prescribe. The MD always says, “let’s try this” because he knows no two bodies are exactly alike. If you can’t use the information give, move on. But don’t try to ruin it for everyone else, even a little good news is welcome to some of us.
I agree that the pure brown rice helps reduce BP and also helps with healing diabetes. I have been eating brown rice for the past two weeks and already my BP has come down significantly.
Eating brown rice in moderate amount and certain cereals including wheat flour and Oats are known to be low hypoglycemic index materials which help to help in the diabetes management with out drugs; but remember excercisr and half an hour walking a day is also the added prescription along with 15 minutes of “pranayam” – breathing excercise.