Why is brown rice supposed to be more healthy than white rice ?
Here is some more information and an anecdote to an already good answer. Beri-beri… In 1886, Dr. Christian Eijkman, a Dutch medico stationed at an Indonesian hospital, began investigating beri-beri. [Some symptoms of beri-beri include a tingling, burning or numbness in the extremities, vomiting, strange eye movements, weakness, mental confusion, speech difficulties, nervousness and nerve disorders, then trouble walking, then coma, then death.] He noticed some chickens exhibiting the same phenomena of beri-beri. It is pretty noticable to see clumsy, falling-down chickens behaving erratically. Rice grains naturally have an outer layer, light brown in color, called rice bran. When this rice bran is left on the rice, it is called brown rice. When the grain is polished and the light brown bran is removed, you have white rice. Asian culture considered white rice to be a more affluent food and was more expensive because it was processed. It was the preferred diet — not brown rice. Brown ri
The husk (brown part) of brown rice is the part that contains the nutrients necessary to digest and balance the carbohydrate content (the “white” part). The husk is removed by milling, leaving only the starch, and the minerals, vitamins, fats. etc. needed to balance the starch are leached from the body’s reserves – which are often already depleted due to consumption of other refined foods such as refined sugar and flour products. The net result is an overly acidic condition which leads to liquid retention and formation of mucus, providing a breeding ground for unhealthful bacteria and adding extra weight to the body. When properly cooked, brown rice also tastes much better than white rice. The way to bring out the utmost flavor of brown rice is by pressure cooking for at least 40 minutes with a small amount of sea salt (1/4 tsp. per cup of dry rice), using about 1.5 cups of water to a cup of dry rice (use a bit more water in drier climates and higher altitudes). Wash the rice first sev
