Properties of rice

Health benefits of eating rice

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF RICE

Phytotherapy: Preparations with rice for the health

Rice, besides being a major source of dietary energy, constitutes a good popular remedy.

• Antidiarrheal: Broth of boiled rice has been used from old times to stop the diarrhea. “Water of rice” seats the belly and stops diarrhea.

This is what has led to the false belief that rice grain is astringent and people who has problems in discharging the bowel do not have to eat rice.

• Antigastritic and demulcent: Rice is very rich in starch. Rice starch, mixed with water, has demulcent properties. Demulcent components are the ones that protect the internal mucous or the external skin.

Rice water has demulcent properties, able to smooth the irritated stomach; that is why it is very suitable in case of pancreatitis, gastritis or stomach ache.

Stopping the diarrhoea: Water of rice?

Rice, specially whole rice, is rich in fibers, which facilitates the intestinal transit. However, if we prepare “water of rice” we will secure the opposite effect.

In order to prepare this remedy we would boil rice with water in a proportion of a part of rice and 3 of water, during 15 minutes. After boiling, let it cool, strain it and drink the liquid. (Optionally a spoonful of flour of rice by cup can be given him to the patient)

This preparation is especially interesting for small children who are very prone to undergo diarrhea produced by intestinal infections. Besides stopping the diarrhea, the “water of rice” will help to rehydrate the small ones.

This same preparation this very used in the ayurvédica medicine of India, to not only fight the diarrhoea, but also in cases of fever, inflammations of the internal causes by contaminated or irritating products (disenteria), difficult or painful urination (disuria), etc.

Rice water to combat dehydration and heat stroke

It would be used to cut the diarrhea, to clear thirst and to hydrate the organism in the days of much heat. Take two or three glasses a day.

Rice is an aid to lose weight

Whole rice is suitable against the excess of liquids of the organism: the potassium wealth of the whole rice turns out to be very suitable to eliminate water. We know that potassium counteracts sodium and contributes to the elimination of leftover liquids of the organism.

This can be interesting in a series of corporal problems:

• Obesity: A rich diet in whole rice can be perfectly recommendable for those people who have an excess of weight and decide to be on a diet. In this case they must consider the caloric properties of rice and not to add in its diet those foods that have many calories.Rice, in this sense, combines very well with other vegetal foods, especially vegetables, like beans and lentils, that complement it providing those amino acids that this cereal does not have.
• Edemas: Equally interesting is this food in the elimination of edemas, those serous accumulations that appear in the ankles, the neck, or the extremities.
• Hypertension: When water is eliminated, the arterial pressure is reduced.
• Diabetes: Rice helps to eliminate water and, at the same time, it releases glucose in a moderate and constant way, which allows to stabilize sugar levels in the blood, being very useful for people who have diabetes.

Rice contributes to diminish cholesterol

The presence of gamna- oryzanol in whole rice ensures that the ingestion of this cereal can become an aid to reduce cholesterol levels (LDL) in the blood; it will increase cholesterol HDL and diminish the triglycerides.

Anyway, those people who have high cholesterol levels (over 200 mg) should better resort to complements than contain this principle (see more information) or eat red yeast rice.

Rice properties for kidneys

• Kidney stones: Studies carried out in Japan demonstrated that the daily ingestion of a pair of spoonfuls of rice bran helps to eliminate and prevent the formation of kidney stones.

These properties appear because of the presence of fitates and fític acid, elements that inhibit absorption of calcium. These same properties are counter-productive in those people who need to assimilate more calcium of the normal, in which case the habitual ingestion of this complement is not advisable.

• Diseases of the kidneys: The elimination of liquids is a help for the kidneys that do not have to work so hard. Therefore, rice can be a great ally in the cure of kidney diseases.

In external use, rice helps to cure problems of the skin

Diaper dermatitis: The crushed and dry starch of rice constitutes a good anti-inflammatory and astringent, able to absorb the humidity and to diminish the pruritus and the inflammation of the baby in the diaper dermatitis.

This powder constitutes a natural alternative to talc powders. (Apply rice dust, on sale in pharmacies and herbalist’s shops, on the inflamed zone, after the change of diapers) (Powder of rice can be made at home by crushing it with a grinder)

More information on rice.

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

30 August, 2024