Is matta rice better than brown rice?
Rice is a staple food in many countries and provides millions of people around the world with an inexpensive, nutritious source of energy. There are many varieties of rice that differ in colour and nutritional value. Out of all these varieties, matta rice and brown rice are known to be the richest.
The nutritional content of both these forms of rice is very similar. This result occurs as they are both harvested the same way. They are either de-hulled or partly hulled to retain the parts packed with nutrition.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is unpolished rice with only the outer inedible husk removed, but with the bran layer and cereal germ intact. Brown rice is loaded with rich fibres and nutrients. It also has different grain lengths, including short, medium, and long. Brown rice bran contains the flavonoid antioxidants apigenin, quercetin, and luteolin. These compounds play an important role in disease prevention and also, brown rice provides similar numbers of calories and carbs to white rice. The brown variety has about three times more fibre and is higher in protein. Both fibre and protein promote feelings of fullness and can help you maintain a healthy weight, and brown rice can help regulate blood sugar and insulin, which helps in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Matta Rice
Matta rice varieties, such as Himalayan red rice and Thai red cargo rice, are deeply pigmented and contain an impressive array of nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. This type is higher in protein and fibre than white rice varieties, but where it really shines is in its antioxidant content. Matta rice has a unique colour due to a compound called anthocyanin, which also provides a great boost of antioxidants, including the anthocyanins apigenin, myricetin, and quercetin. This compound is also found in certain red-purple fruits and vegetables like blueberries. It too contains the outer bran and cereal germ, which contain a higher concentration of nutrients. Matta rice has significantly more potential to fight free radicals and contains higher concentrations of flavonoid antioxidants than brown rice, and can help decrease inflammation in your body, keep free radical levels in check, and may reduce your risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Nutritional & health benefits
The main nutrient that all types of rice provide is carbohydrates. The amount depends on the variety. This is because both retain the essential components of the bran layer and the cereal germ, which contain vitamin B1, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. In addition, both have properties that lower cholesterol levels and prevent obesity. The antioxidant activity in matta rice is found to be almost 10 times greater than in brown rice. Matta rice is also a source of selenium, which protects the body against infections. On the other hand, brown rice is also a good source of iron and zinc.
So basically, both brown and matta are nutritious, but matta is arguably the most nutritious.