Brown Rice: How to Reduce Abdominal Fat and Lose Weight

Brown rice is known for its privileged nutritional properties, the nutritional quality and energy of the grain is maintained , since it is complete, with all the edible parts that nature originally gave it.

The difference that we notice between white and brown rice is a thin husk, in our body, however, this husk is an inexhaustible source of benefits , ranging from the control of diabetes to the reduction of abdominal fat.

Brown rice is rich in fiber, proteins, minerals, and B vitamins , which are only found in the husk , which is why it is more beneficial than processed white rice.

Benefits of brown rice

The husk that covers the rice grains is rich in carbohydrates, oils, proteins, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, provitamins C, E, and minerals in great quantity . In addition to vitamins and minerals, various antioxidants have been found in rice.

Among these elements, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium are the most important . Magnesium is a mineral deficient in a large part of our population, and it has functions in various parts of the body. This includes the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin , muscle contraction, bone formation, and energy production.

For more information on the nutrients we recommend that you look for the specific vitamins or through this article you will see which are the essential vitamins for our health , as well as the properties and benefits of magnesium .

Does brown rice reduce belly fat?

The presence of fiber, protein, magnesium, and some vitamins make rice an especially important food for those seeking weight loss. It can help create a feeling of fullness, which lowers cholesterol, blood glucose, anxiety, and depression. Obviously, this is only achieved when rice is part of a balanced diet combined with a healthy physical activity routine (no need to kill yourself doing sports).

Now the question remains: how can this seemingly insignificant grain have these amazing results?

The answer is in its fiber content, the higher its value, the lower the amount of glucose and lipids absorbed by the body . These factors are important to avoid intra-abdominal (visceral) fat deposition. Because fibers form a kind of rubber when in contact with water, they slow digestion, causing the sugar in food to be gradually absorbed. This controls the production of insulin, the hormone responsible for sending glucose into the cells but which, in excess, can promote the “rubbers” in the belly and pave the way for diabetes.

Recommended daily amount of brown rice

The recommended daily intake to reap the benefits of brown rice is 90 grams or 4 well-filled tablespoons . This is the measure recommended by experts to reduce abdominal fat and protect yourself from diseases such as breast cancer.

I know that most people don’t eat brown rice, but it is good to make an effort and opt for this food that brings many health benefits.

Differences between white rice vs brown rice

If you still don’t know exactly what the difference is between white rice and brown rice , this article is for you.

But here we are not going to explain why they are so different in terms of taste, cooking time and nutritional value. We are not going to talk about any of that! What you will find below is a very didactic and not complex explanation of the parts that make up the grain of this cereal (which is a seed, in case you did not know) and the process it goes through to become the white rice that so well we know.

Here is the story of rice:

The rice that comes from the harvest is “well dressed”. Like anyone who goes to the “street”, the first thing that happens with rice is that a “heavy coat” is removed, but in this case, it is because part of the grain (husk) must receive a treatment different in order to be consumed. At that time, the grain is dressed only in a basic brown “shirt”.

This underwear is thin, like a second skin, and it also helps to carry a very important thing: an embryo (the germ). This “accessory” that goes with rice “under the table” is essential for the grain as a whole, in case it decides to take root and grow into a new plant. On the other side, his naked, white body is an energy reserve for the seed . As you can see, they form a great alliance: one makes sure of the other.

The fine clothing that covers the duo is perfect and essential for the good relationship of the two, since it carries all the necessary nutrients for the embryo to grow, if any.

With these costumes the rice feels very, very complete, from then on, if it is written in the stars that it will be a white rice, it will lose the dress, it will say goodbye to the germ and it will remain as you already know it: white and naked .

The truth is that after polishing, the rice becomes pure endosperm (this is the name of the white rice, which is the energy reserve) and will parade on the shelves of the supermarkets saying that it is a white rice.

Now you can better understand why brown rice contains more nutrients than white rice and both have roughly the same amount of calories . In this article about rice you will find more specific nutritional information for each one. We are not going to delve into this topic here, as we said, we just wanted to make you understand why these differences occur.