Replacing white rice with brown rice can have a significant impact on weight loss efforts. Whole-grain foods like brown rice have a low glycemic index, and according to a 2006 study, low glycemic index foods are most effective for weight loss. The study suggested that dietary glycemic load, and not only just overall calorie intake impacts weight loss and blood glucose levels after eating. The researchers found that moderate reductions in glycemic load seem to boost the rate of body fat reduction.
In another study to determine the blood glucose response after eating a meal of ten healthy and nine type 2 diabetes participants to brown rice in comparison to white rice, the total sugar released in vitro was 23.7 percent lesser in brown rice compared to white rice, thus decreasing the risk of weight gain. In healthy participants, the glycemic index and glycemic area were 12.1 percent and 19.8 percent lesser in brown rice compared to white rice, whilst in diabetics, the values were 35.6 percent and 35.2 percent lesser.
In a study of forty overweight women between 20 and 35 years of age that were randomly divided into 2 groups who consumed meal replacements containing either white rice or mixture of brown rice and black rice, it was concluded that replacing meals with mixed rice was superior to white rice for weight control, and improved antioxidant enzyme activity, and as such, should be recommended for diet therapy in obese women.
Brown rice is a fantastic source of magnesium, manganese, iron, selenium, as well as the vitamins B3, B6, B2 and B1. Brown rice is a great source of protein, dietary fiber, and also gamma-oryzanol.