Nowadays, many people like to incorporate grains like brown rice, black rice, and Job's tears into their diets. But do you know their nutritional characteristics and health benefits? And which people should not eat these foods?
1. The most nourishing is japonica rice
The common rice used daily to make rice, also known as japonica rice or white rice, is semi-transparent and oval or elliptical. It has a high milling yield, small grain expansion, but high stickiness. As a daily staple, japonica rice contains essential nutrients for the human body such as starch, protein, fat, vitamin B1, niacin, vitamin C, and calcium, iron, etc., providing the necessary nutrition and calories for the body.
Gu Wanli introduced that using japonica rice to cook porridge for health and longevity has a history of 2000 years in China. The top layer of congee oil from japonica rice can replenish fluids and essence, which is greatly beneficial for nourishing the body's yin fluid and kidney essence. It is most suitable for patients, postpartum women, and the elderly. Japonica rice has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing middle qi, nourishing yin and promoting body fluids, relieving vexation and thirst, and stopping diarrhea. It can be used for conditions such as weak spleen and stomach, vexation and thirst, malnutrition, and post-illness weakness. However, diabetic patients should be careful not to eat too much.
2. The most digestive is brown rice
So-called brown rice is the "light yellow rice" that has had its coarse husk removed during the milling process while retaining the germ and inner bran. The protein, fat, and vitamin content in brown rice is higher than in white rice.
The crude fiber molecules in the bran layer help gastrointestinal motility and are effective for digestive tract diseases such as stomach problems, constipation, and hemorrhoids. Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice and can lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Brown rice is suitable for the general population. However, because brown rice has a coarser texture and is denser, it takes longer to cook. Gu Wanli suggests washing it, soaking it in cold water overnight before cooking, then cooking it in a pressure cooker for more than half an hour together with the soaking water.
Tip: Eating brown rice is especially beneficial for diabetics and the obese
Because its starch is wrapped in coarse fiber, the human body's digestion and absorption speed is slower, thus it can well control blood sugar. At the same time, trace elements in brown rice such as zinc, chromium, manganese, and vanadium are beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity and are very helpful for people with impaired glucose tolerance. Japanese research has shown that the glycemic index of brown rice is much lower than that of white rice. When eaten in the same quantity, it provides a greater feeling of fullness, which helps control food intake and thus helps obese people lose weight. Therefore, countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore have long been caught up in the trend of eating brown rice to control weight.
3. The most kidney-nourishing is black rice
Black rice is rich in nutrition, containing protein, fat, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and other substances, with a nutritional value higher than ordinary rice. It can significantly increase the content of human hemoglobin and blood pigment, which is beneficial to the health of the cardiovascular system, the development of children's bones and brains, and can promote the recovery of postpartum women and people recovering from illness, so it is an ideal nutritional health food.
Gu Wanli pointed out that black rice has the effects of nourishing yin and kidneys, replenishing qi and strengthening the body, strengthening the spleen and whetting the appetite, nourishing the liver and improving eyesight, and nourishing essence and securing astringency. It is a great supplement for anti-aging, beauty, preventing diseases, and strengthening the body. Regular consumption of black rice has a good tonic effect on chronic patients, people in recovery, and young children. Because black rice is not easy to cook, it should be soaked overnight before cooking. Young children and the elderly with weak digestive function should not eat it.
4. The most detoxifying is glutinous rice
Glutinous rice, also called sticky rice, is often used to make snacks because of its fragrant, sticky, and smooth texture, and is loved by everyone. Glutinous rice contains nutrients such as protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B2, and a large amount of starch.
Reminder: Eating glutinous rice in winter can improve cold resistance
Glutinous rice has the effects of replenishing middle qi, nourishing the stomach and strengthening the spleen, securing the exterior to stop sweating, stopping diarrhea, calming the fetus, and detoxifying sores. It can be used for diseases such as deficient-cold stomach pain, gastric and duodenal ulcers, thirst and frequent urination, qi deficiency and spontaneous sweating, and smallpox and sores. Gu Wanli also reminded that glutinous rice is not easy to digest, so it should not be eaten in excess. The elderly, children, and people with weak spleen and stomach should pay special attention.
5. The most beautifying is Job's tears
Job's tears, also known as coix seed or barley, has high nutritional value and is known as the "king of world gramineous plants". Job's tears is rich in nutrients, containing coixenol, coixenol, sterols, various amino acid components such as arginine, and nutritional components such as vitamin B1 and carbohydrates. It has the effects of promoting urination to drain dampness, strengthening the spleen to stop diarrhea, and clearing heat and detoxifying.
Gu Wanli introduced that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Job's tears is sweet and light in taste, slightly cold in nature, and enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. It has therapeutic and preventive effects on symptoms such as spleen deficiency and diarrhea, muscle soreness and heaviness, and joint pain.
Mushroom and Job's tears rice can prevent cancer
The effect of Job's tears on beauty is also very significant. It can make the skin smooth, reduce wrinkles, eliminate pigment spots, and has a significant effect on facial acne and rough skin. However, it should be noted that people with dry stools, insufficient semen, frequent urination, and pregnant women should not eat too much.
6. The most stomach-nourishing is millet
Millet, also known as sorghum rice, panicum millet, or panicum grain, is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, sugar, vitamin B2, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Because millet is very easily digested and absorbed by the human body, it is called "health rice" by nutrition experts.
Millet has the effects of strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the middle, benefiting kidney qi, clearing deficient heat, promoting urination, and treating vexation and thirst. It is a good nutritional and recuperative food for treating weak spleen and stomach, physical weakness, damage to essence and blood, postpartum deficiency, and loss of appetite. Gu Wanli pointed out that because millet is slightly cool in nature, people with qi stagnation and those with a constitution that is slightly deficient and cold with clear and long urination should not eat too much.