Black Rice – More Antioxidants than the Beloved Blueberry!
There is a lot of talk about how black foods are now the new green superfoods. For me, the greens will always take pride in place but it is hard to ignore the growing list of black superfoods power-packed with nutritional benefits. Some examples include black chia seeds, black lentils, black beans, reishi mushrooms, black sesame seeds and of course black rice!
The Scoop on Black Rice
Black rice, also known as purple rice or forbidden rice, it is loaded with iron, 18 amino acids, fibre, vitamins and more. The bran cover on black and brown rice (which is removed to make white rice) allows these healthy properties to be retained. One differentiating factor black rice has over its white and brown rice brothers is it contains anthocyanin antioxidants, which gives the rice its superfood credibility.
History of Black Rice
In the West we are only starting to learn about the benefits of black rice, however, in China black rice has always been considered the superior grain. It was known as the finest available grain and was only served to the emperor. This is why black rice is often referred to as ‘forbidden rice’ as the general public were not allowed to consume it and if they did there would be serious consequences.
Health Benefits of Black Rice
Blueberries have always been deemed one of the benchmark superfoods due to their extremely high antioxidant levels. However, according to a study conducted by the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, one spoonful of black rice bran contains more anthocyanin antioxidants than an equivalent spoonful of blueberries. Furthermore, it was found that black rice has less sugar, more fibre and more vitamin E than blueberries.
Anthocyanin is the pigment found in dark blue, red and purple foods. Plants rich in anthocyanins include acai, blueberries, bilberries, cranberries, raspberries, cherries, eggplants and black rice, to name just a few. Anthocyanin antioxidants have shown positive results in fighting heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Anthocyanins may also offer anti-inflammatory and anti-viral benefits.
Superfood Black Rice Pudding
Gluten-Free, Low GI, High in Antioxidants
This dish can be served as a dessert – it goes particularly well with Thai food or Indonesian food, as the coconut and banana flavours tie in nicely. I have also served it for brunch.
I’ve added chia seeds, black sesame, coconut products and of course black rice to maximise the superfood benefits.
