Top 3 Health Benefits of Wild Rice:
Ben Belty
Grains have been a highly controversial and sometimes demonized food over the past decade or so with low carb and “paleo” diets coming into fashion. Despite all the negative claims against grains there stands a grain that provides us with a host of benefits that will make you rethink the moniker “all grains are bad”.
PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS
Wild Rice has a great Amino acid profile scoring at 84 whereas white rice comes in at 71. Cooked Wild Rice is 14% protein compared to white rice at 8%. The extra protein and amino acids in Wild Rice help to promote a feeling of fullness with less calories consumed. Because of the amino acid profile in Wild Rice it has a high protein efficiency rate. What this means is that the body can easily and efficiently convert the proteins in wild rice into proteins useable in the human body. This makes Wild Rice and optimal food for recovery from strenuous exercise.
LOW ALLERGEN
Wild Rice can often be tolerated by individuals who are allergic to other grains. Wheat has been shown to have up to 27 different allergenic compounds the most well known being gluten. Wild Rice contains no gluten and has not been shown to contain higher levels of other allergens. Grain allergy is often the result of hybridization and protein mutations that occur during this process. For example modern wheat has not only been hybridized but it is the result of accidental gamma radiation experiments done to seeds before planting them. This has likely caused in part the massive influx of wheat allergy in the west. Real Wild Rice has of course never been hybridized and is a truly heirloom species. Another factor to consider is that chemicals used in industrial agriculture such as glyphosate have also been implicated in the recent wave of food allergies. Our Wild Rice beds are Certified Organic and on protected land far away from any form of industrial agriculture.
GUT HEALTH AND MICRO-BIOME BALANCING
This is an area where Wild Rice is most valuable - rebuilding and maintaining health of the intestinal tract which as we know leads to optimal health of the whole organism. As noted previously Wild Rice contains a balanced profile of amino acids and a great protein efficiency ratio. What does this do? It has an anti inflammatory effect on the body and directly contributes to the repair and growth of new tissues. This is important because many foods in modern diets are contributing to inflammation and deterioration rather than rebuilding. There are also phyto chemical compounds that have been shown to contribute to tissue repair and further contribute to the anti inflammatory effects of Wild Rice. Wild Rice is also rich in what is known as resistant starch which is a type of carbohydrate that survives the digestive process of our stomach acid and is converted to a short chain fatty acid known as Butyrate. Butyrate has a host of benefits ranging from increased energy levels to anti inflammatory effects throughout the whole body. Resistant starch serves as a prebiotic that feeds and balances the human microbiome.