Of all grains, rice contains the largest proportion do carbohydrates in relation to protein; and carbohydrates are the essential substances to support muscular energy.
The utilization of its starch involves the formation of the smallest amount do uric acid and other toxin from the associated protein.
The composition and nutritional value for rice varies with the nature of the soil, climate, variety and the condition of culture – in particular the fertilizers used. The nutritional value also depends of milling that is undertaken. Brown rice is the name given to dehusked paddy.
Brown rice contains 8% protein, 70% starch and small qualities of lipids, fiber and minerals. After milling however, the decline is in beneficial elements is dramatic.
Washing and cooking methods often deplete the nutrients further and efficiency diseases such as beriberi are not uncommon among consumers of rice too poor to supplement their diet with alternative sources of protein and vitamins.
Most commercial methods of rice polishing remove the colored outer layer or rice bran leaving only the white grain.
Rice varieties are available with content usually around 7% - 9% of protein. As with other cereals, the protein is deficient in lysine and threonine but, compared with other cereals, rice protein has a high digestibility – 98%.
The nutritional value of rice with respect to vitamins is affected by the content of individual vitamins present and the amount removed or destroyed by milling or processing.
The vitamins of the B complex are present, however, in brown rice in reasonably adequate amounts.
It lacks of other important nutrients such as vitamin C and D and beta-carotenes (the precursor of vitamin A), as well as a host of other micronutrients.
Milling process also removes considerable proportion as the bran and polish are scoured off. White milled rice yields less than 0.5 percent ash.
Rice is predominantly a carbohydrate, high energy food. There is always no loss in preparation and the 80 percent carbohydrate in milled rice is largely of a highly digestive type.
Crude fiber is about 0.4 percent in milled rice.
Nutritional Value of Rice
