Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Extension
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1571
Healthy Heart Beats
July-September 2008
Vol 30, Issue 3
Dining a la Health
Health Claim for Brown Rice Approved
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the whole grain logo to brown rice. Previously brown rice was excluded due to its lower dietary fiber content but the FDA decided that a high-fiber single ingredient food did not have to meet a minimum level of fiber. The FDA-approved health claim states, "Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers."
U
nlike white rice, brown rice contains all the essential parts and natural nutrients of the entire grain seed-bran, germ and endosperm. Removing only the hull makes it chewier and gives it a nutty flavor. One cup of cooked brown rice contains 3.5 grams of dietary fiber as compared to 0.6 grams in white rice. In addition to retaining its B vitamins and minerals - magnesium, selenium, and zinc - brown rice also has more vitamin E and beneficial phytochemicals, including an antioxidant that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Additionally, rice is gluten-free. As an added bonus one study suggests that including rice in the diet on a regular basis may help control weight and keep blood pressure down.
If there is a down-side to including brown rice in your menus, it's the additional cooking time. Typically brown rice requires 45 minutes of cooking time. Parboiling the rice ahead of time will allow the brown rice to cook in 15 to 20 minutes. To view a 5-minute video on how to quick-cook brown rice from the Whole Grains web site, click here:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=3dd2fdd115df59fdcc7bd7983d623d
653b8cdb3a&scp=1&sq=brown%20rice&st=cse.
Brown rice cakes, though a whole-grain food, do not qualify for the whole grain health claim. Confusing? To qualify for the health claim, at least 51% of the total weight of a food must be whole grain ingredients. Compliance is measured against a benchmark level of 11% fiber in the whole grain component. In the past, 100% whole grain foods with a naturally lower fiber level, such as brown rice, could not use the claim even though they clearly exceeded the 51% level of whole grain content. The FDA has ruled that single-ingredient whole grains do not need to prove compliance because they qualify as whole grains. Brown rice cakes are not a single ingredient food and therefore do not qualify for the health claim. However, brown rice cakes are still a healthful whole grain. "Whole grains also have phytoestrogens, antioxidants, lignans, vitamins, and minerals, so a lot comes along with the fiber package," says Joanne Slavin, a University of Minnesota researcher who served on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Definition of Dietary Fiber.
For more information from the Whole Grains Council, go to www.wholegrainscouncil.org; http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/071010-healthy-eaters/.
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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011
