Nutritional Significance and Nutrients-related Chronic Diseases Prevention Potential of Brown Unpolished Rice: A Review

Abstract

The increasing incidence of nutrient-related non-communicable chronic diseases (NCCDs), like type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, posed researchers in Nutrition and Nutrigenomics to search for the possible link between such diseases and the foods consumed by different communities. Hence, the objective of this paper is to provide a critical review of nutritional significance and nutrient-related chronic diseases prevention potential of brown, unpolished rice using relevant literatures searches from online and library sources. The study, therefore, investigated the various nutritional and health protection potentials of the brown, unpolished rice. The review highlighted the implication of polished, white rice consumption in conditions such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress, as well as the preventive effects of the brown rice consumption against these disease conditions. It can, therefore, be concluded that substitution of the widely consumed polished white rice with the unpolished brown rice may promote healthy living and prevent the risk of various nutrients-related chronic diseases.