Bowl of contention

[shahul]

Brown rice is better than white or polished rice.
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What we are bickering about: Rice, said an e-mail, is not fit for human consumption. Oh yes, there’s the sugar factor, but why are Asian communities thriving?

“Ma, did you know our bodies are not equipped to digest raw rice?” asked my ever-so-curious daughter.

Personally, I am a big fan of rice and didn’t quite want to digest this information.

“Wherever do you get such information?” I queried. She showed me an e-mail from my brother. And here’s what it had to say:

E-mail speak

Don’t eat too much rice. The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years.

However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman ate only those foods that could be eaten raw.

That included meat, as the human body has the enzymes to digest it.

However, rice — like wheat and corn — cannot be eaten raw since we do not have the enzymes to break down raw rice. It doesn’t get much better when cooked:

Digested rice becomes sugar — lots of it!

Rice has no fibre.

Rice is tasteless.

Rice is always the main part of the meal, though there is no real “built in” mechanism for us to prevent overeating rice.

Eating rice causes us to drink less water.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals.

Rice, when taken in bulk, will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients such as zinc, iron and Vitamin B.

Looking for answers

Phew! Was that true? Considering that rice forms up to 85 per cent of the plate in most Asian countries, this needed investigation.

Unwind decided to push the plate and see what others had to say.

Rice ‘is packed with vitamins’

The e-mail seemed interesting although I find it a little misleading.

I beg to differ with the information provided here because we all know moderation, variety and balance is the key to any successful eating plan.

I agree that rice or wheat or corn can’t be eaten raw and our caveman never ate them.

But does that mean we should stop eating beans, lentils or pulses, too, as they can’t be eaten raw either?

And just imagine trying to eat beef, chicken or fish raw! We all know how beneficial beans and lentils are for everyone and, particularly, for a vegetarian.

Sweet energy

Since the discussion is about rice — whether white or brown — we must know that rice, like any other form of carbohydrate — such as wheat, maize, potatoes or barley — gets converted to sugar, which is then utilised by our body as energy.

It is true that our body only needs a limited amount of energy from carbohydrates.

Hence, we need to limit our rice intake. Brown rice is better than white or polished rice.

Not only does it boast six times the fibre of white rice, it is also packed with vitamins, minerals and (is a) natural plant.

And, as a whole grain, brown rice is part of the formula for lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Its bran lowers blood pressure.

It is rich in the bone-building mineral magnesium, the immunity-boosting antioxidant selenium, and manganese, a mineral important to keep up the body’s natural defences.

The e-mail suggests that rice prevents absorption of certain vitamins and minerals but there’s no research to back it. In fact, rice itself has a multitude of vitamins and minerals.

It has a good amount of protein but lacks amino acids (BCCA) — which makes the absorption of this protein weak.

But this can be strengthened if we add green peas or beans, red beans and other legumes to the rice.

Adding tofu and vegetables to rice is also a good idea. Rice is more culturally built into Asian food just as meat is in many parts of the world.

And just as consuming too much meat is detrimental to our health, so too is consuming too much carbohydrate-rich foods.

This logic rules

The rule of thumb is: Protein-based foods should be equivalent to the palm of your hand, carbohydrate-based foods should be about the fist of your hand and with vegetables and fruits, feel free to have a generous amount.

Consume only a pinch of salt and drink plenty of water.

Just as an afterthought — the highest average lifespan is that of the Japanese (78.9 years). Sushi, anyone?

Mitun De Sarkar, dietician and managing director of Simply Healthy

Rice reigns

* In many languages, “rice” is synonymous with “food”. In China, it is the same word as “food” whereas in Japan, it is “meal”.
In Thailand, when a guest is invited to dine, he’s asked to “eat rice”.
* The first time an Indian bride cooks for her new family, it is a rice preparation. Even a newborn’s first meal is rice.
* In Japan, it is believed that if rice is soaked before cooking, it releases life energy and gives the eater a more peaceful soul.
* In China, young girls are warned not to leave any rice in their bowls, as each grain of rice left would symbolise a pock mark on their future husband’s face.
* In most cultures, rice plays an important part in weddings.
Either newly-weds are expected to throw rice over their shoulder or are showered with it. In ancient times, this ritual symbolised fertility.
Today, it is a blessing for prosperity and abundance.

In many languages, “rice” is synonymous with “food”. In China, it is the same word as “food” whereas in Japan, it is “meal”. In Thailand, when a guest is invited to dine, he’s asked to “eat rice”.

‘Some people say potatoes make you sick’

Rice is a staple for a large part of the world’s population, making it the most consumed cereal.

Brown rice contains all the ingredients for a healthy cereal. It is true that it is not a complete protein.

That is, it does not contain all the essential amino acids in sufficient amounts for good health. So it should be combined with other protein sources.

Digest this

It has been said that humans are the only animals that consume the milk of other animals — which is an unnecessary statement as, similarly, no other animal wears clothes or builds multi-storey buildings.

In the same way, the Irish have potatoes and there are people who believe eating potatoes is a reason for ill health. But all Irish are neither sick nor obese.

Basically, all foods are organic compounds and rice, too, is a kind of an organic compound that our body digests.

There hasn’t been any scientific evidence of anyone falling sick or dying from eating rice.

Eating too much of anything can cause trouble. Another side of the article highlights the idea of going Western once a week.

Asians — who are blamed for having rice, the unpalatable food — have had powerful brains.

Only in 1694 did rice arrive in South Carolina, US, probably from Madagascar.

You still think people should not consume rice?

Krishnan Iyer, Indian

“Eating a lot of rice can increase your weight if you don’t burn [the calories]. At the end of the day, it is a carbohydrate, though it gives you energy. To minimise rice intake, preferably include a lean meat, vegetables and fruits [in] your meal.”

Melba Macapagal, Filipina

“I personally do not agree with this, as in south India, most of us eat rice.

“I have definitely not seen any health-related issues there, even though this is our staple diet.

“This e-mail seems to [me] to take the route of rice-as-a-health-hazard a bit too far.”

Thushara, Indian

“While I was a kid, old folks used to warn us not to sleep right after eating, lest we die of bangungot [nightmare].

"This folk wisdom may have gathered scientific basis over centuries. In Thailand, it’s called lai tay, or sleep death, and has reportedly killed more than 5,000 Thais between 1981 and 1997.

"Thousands in East Asia have died of what is now called ‘Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome’ [Sunds]. Studies in Thailand have postulated that Sunds could be caused by salty diet or rice.

"Also, it is seen to be rare or unheard of in countries that don’t have rice as their staple.”

Chris, Filipino

“Rice is definitely one of the foods one must avoid or minimise if the goal is to lose weight.

“As a carbohydrate, it gives energy instantly but is high in calories. If you need to lose weight, avoid eating it at dinner.”