The next time you walk through the grocery aisles, skip the white and brown varieties of rice, and look for the ebony coloured grains instead. Known as black rice or forbidden rice, this variety is particularly more anti-inflammatory than other types of rice.

The tiny grains of black rice are dense with pigments known as anthocyanins—the same antioxidant compounds that give fruits their colour and their anti-inflammatory properties. Just like all whole rice grains, black rice brain is also rich in the skin-healing and heart-healthy antioxidant vitamin E.

Part of what makes black rice a particularly effective anti-inflammatory food is that it contains water-soluble (anthocyanins) and fat-soluble (vitamin E) antioxidants, so it can protect your cells from a wide range of free radicals and help lower cholesterol in the blood. Plus, it is high in fiber and vitamin Bs.

Whole grain rice has long been recognized as a nutritious, gluten-free food safe for young children, the elderly, and convalescents. Black rice has been used across Asia as a decorative and unusual addition to dishes. Try experimenting with this fun food to create unique, visually enticing meals.

Reference:

Xu, Z., et al. 2010. Black rice rivals pricey blueberries as source of healthful antioxidants. 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Boston, MA.

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