Rice is the most important food for the majority in our world. It is the first-highest produced grain in our world. It is the seed of the plant Oryza sativa. It is the main food in East and South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the West Indies. Even in the developed countries the consumption of rice has increased considerably. There are hundreds of food preparations based on rice and you can have it according to your taste.

There are three kinds of rice available and all are from the same rice. The processing gives them the different qualities. The three varieties include:

• White rice
• Brown rice
• Boiled or parboiled rice

When the whole husk and the germ are during milling it is the white rice. The outer husk, the chaff is removed only with a rice huller it is the brown rice. Brown rice has the bran and the germ and thus many nutrients than white rice. The whole rice grain with husk is steamed or boiled and during this process the nutrients including vitamin B1 enters inside the rice. It is dried and milled later. This boiled or parboiled rice has 80% of the nutritional value of the brown rice.

Brown rice and white rice have the same amounts of carbohydrates, protein and calories. Here only the processing is different and it has an enormous influence of the nutrients. Several vitamins and minerals are lost during milling and polishing. In United States of America white rice is enriched with most of the lost nutrients. But, in the other parts of the world it is eaten as such after milling and polishing. People who eat mainly white rice, therefore, must include pulses, beans, milk products or meat in their food to get all the nutrients the body needs.

The starches in the boiled or parboiled rice become gelatinized, making it glassier and harder. The cooked boiled or parboiled rice is firmer and less sticky compared to other rice. We can remember the famous Uncle Ben’s fork test. Parboiled is the short for of partially boiled.

In some countries rice is milled extremely and then coated with talcum or glucose to have a shining appearance. This must be avoided as talc may bring health risks like cancer.

Eating excess rise increase the blood fat level of triglycerides and this is a risk factor to stroke and heart attack. Rice in normal amount is a very healthy food. 150 to 200 g cooked rice with enough vegetables, fruits, pulses, beans, nuts, seeds, milk products and meat is the good combination.

Main rice eaters must not forget the daily exercise.