The world has a vast array of rice varieties. Rice varies in texture, size, shape, aroma and stickiness. Rice is also available in a number of colors, including white, brown, red and deep purple. Deep purple rice gets its dark color from its outer coating of black bran. When purple rice is cooked, the bran gives it a nutty flavor and adds to its dietary fiber. Purple rice can be found in many health food stores and organic food stores.
Fast facts on purple rice:
- It is entirely non-allergenic and gluten-free.
- It can be used in desserts, and in India is a feature of community feasts.
- Its purple color is from the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also found in blueberries.
- Purple rice can be used in any recipe that calls for rice.
What is in purple rice?
Purple rice has a similar amount of calories as white or brown rice, yet it has more protein and fiber.
Protein
The British Nutrition Foundation state that protein is essential for growth and body repair, as well as the maintenance of good health.
All cells and tissues in the body contain protein, which is involved in a wide range of metabolic interactions.
Protein provides people with 10 to 15 percent of their dietary energy and is one of the most abundant compounds in the body, second only to water.
In the United States, adults are recommended to consume 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, which is equal to 0.36 g per pound of body weight.
Fiber
Purple rice has a moderate amount of B vitamins and dietary fiber. Eating foods that are high in fiber will help you stay fuller longer after you eat. This may be useful if you are trying to lose weight. Although purple jasmine rice has no dietary fiber, purple sticky rice has 2 g of dietary fiber. The daily recommended fiber intake is 28 g for women and 34 g for men. If you are increasing your fiber intake, do so gradually to avoid gas and stomach cramps.
Calories
As rice has evolved over the years, it has absorbed nutrients from local soils. Therefore, different types of rice will have different nutritional properties. Each variety of rice brings its own unique nutritional benefits to your diet. Purple jasmine rice contains 100 calories per 1/2-cup cooked serving, while purple sticky rice contains 160 calories per the same serving.
Carbohydrates
Rice is rich in carbohydrates and has a small amount of protein. The daily recommended carbohydrate intake is 130 g per day, while the recommended protein intake is 46 g for women and 56 g for men. One serving of purple jasmine rice has 22 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of protein, while one serving of purple sticky rice has 34 g of carbohydrates and 5 g of protein.
Fat
Rice is a low-fat food. Purple jasmine rice contains no fat, and purple sticky rice contains 1.5 g of unsaturated fat per serving. According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services, fat should account for 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Of these, less than 10 percent should be from saturated fats.
The Health Benefits of Purple Rice
One reason why purple rice is so good for your health is that it contains anthocyanin pigments. These are dark pigments which give black and purple rice its unique color and are found in many fruits and berries. According to the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, anthocyanin pigments are powerful antioxidants that have medicinal benefits and can help rid the body of free radicals.3
Let’s look at the amazing benefits to your health that “forbidden” purple rice can provide you with.
Purple rice has antioxidants
One of the biggest health benefits of purple rice is the high levels of antioxidants it contains. Antioxidants are important to protect cells in the body from damage done by harmful free radicals. Antioxidant compounds help to prevent or reduce the risk of developing various diseases including cancer and heart disease.
It may surprise you, but purple rice actually contains more antioxidants than blueberries. The American Chemical Society published information showing that, like for like, purple rice bran has more anthocyanin antioxidants than blueberries. However, purple rice bran has even more health benefits. It contains more fiber and vitamin E (another essential antioxidant) and less sugar than blueberries. It is also a cheaper source of disease-fighting antioxidants than blueberries.4
Purple rice is anti-inflammatory
Another important health benefit of purple rice is its ability to reduce inflammatory responses in the body. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect us from bacterial and viral infections. According to Dr. Weil, chronic inflammation seems to be at the root of many serious illnesses and diseases.5
Research carried out on the anti-inflammatory effects of pigmented rice, found that it contains a number of compounds that help to reduce inflammation.6
Other researchers found that a diet containing purple rice bran helped to suppress inflammatory skin conditions like dermatitis. They concluded by saying that purple rice bran is anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic and can be used to treat and prevent diseases associated with chronic inflammation.7
That study also showed that brown rice had no effect on reducing inflammation in the body. So, that is another reason why purple rice is superior to brown rice.
Cardiovascular (heart) health benefits of purple rice
Including more purple rice in your diet could help to improve the health of your heart and lower blood pressure.
Research published in The Journal of Nutrition found that purple rice helps to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.8 This is the type of “good” cholesterol that a healthy cardiovascular system needs to function properly. The study showed that purple rice also helps to prevent hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart failure.
Of course, maintaining a healthy heart is a lifestyle choice and requires enjoying a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding habits like over drinking and smoking. However, eating more purple rice in your diet will help you to greatly improve your cardiovascular system and let you enjoy better overall health.
Purple rice improves digestive health
Purple rice is a rich source of dietary fiber which is important to keep your digestive system working properly. The proper amount of fiber in your diet helps to prevent constipation and other digestive problems. However, dietary fiber has also been linked with preventing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and elevated blood sugar levels.9
Purple rice can also help you to lose weight. Researchers in South Korea found that women who replaced white rice with a mixture of brown and purple rice saw a significant reduction in body fat and weight. The group that had the purple rice also showed higher levels of “good cholesterol.”10
By replacing white rice in your diet with purple rice, you may find that it’s easier to lose weight and cholesterol at the same time.
Purple rice for liver health
The antioxidant properties of purple rice can also help to detoxify your liver and improve liver function. A healthy liver is necessary to filter out toxins from your blood and break down fats from food. The liver also plays an important role in regulating glucose levels in the blood.
The journal Nutrition & Metabolism published a study showing that black (or purple) rice increased fatty acid metabolism and helped to reduce the risk of elevated blood sugar levels and high cholesterol. There was also a lower risk of developing liver disease thanks to the antioxidant effect of purple rice on the liver.11
Other studies have also shown that the therapeutic properties of purple rice can also help to restore the function of livers that had been damaged by alcohol.12
Purple rice regulates blood sugar levels
As the studies in the previous section show, purple rice helps to regulate blood sugar levels and can be used as an important food to help control diabetes.
In fact, substituting white rice for purple rice in your diet could help prevent you developing type 2 diabetes. White rice is classed as a simple carbohydrate, meaning that it quickly spikes sugar levels. However, the dietary fiber in whole grain rice (for example, purple rice) can help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 40%.13
Purple rice has anticancer effect
The antioxidant anthocyanins in purple rice also helps to protect from cell damage in the body that can cause cancer. In fact, extracts from purple rice have been shown to have an anti-cancer effect and prevent the growth and spread of tumors.
Researchers from Taiwan discovered that, in laboratory conditions, the dark pigments called anthocyanins in purple rice stopped cancer cells from spreading (tumor metastasis).14 Other studies have shown positive results in using the anti-metastasis ability of anthocyanins in preventing breast cancer cells from spreading.15
Of course, more research has to be carried out to see how the antioxidant properties of pigmented rice like purple rice can be used in the treatment of cancer.
Improves brain function
The antioxidant effect of anthocyanins also has a beneficial effect on improving brain function. This means that purple rice can help to improve your memory impairment and prevent or reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and depression.
Various studies into the effects of anthocyanins have found that foods containing these compounds have a beneficial effect on cognitive function. For example, a 6-year long study published in the Annals of Neurology showed that anthocyanin-rich foods (like purple rice) can help slow down the rates of cognitive decline. In fact, the researchers found that on average cognitive aging was delayed by 2 ½ years.16
Clinical studies also showed that anthocyanins helped to improve learning capacity and reduce symptoms of depression. 17
By adding more purple rice to your diet or taking purple rice supplements, you could help to boost your memory and prevent premature cognitive aging.