washing rice right or not
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In Indian homes, rice is a grain eaten in daily routine and it is consumed in large quantities. We definitely wash the rice before cooking it so that the dirt accumulated on the rice or any kind of chemical coat on it gets removed, but is this right? You must have noticed that when we wash rice, light milky or cream colored water comes out from it. In such a situation, the question is whether apart from removing dust, arsenic and microplastic from rice, its nutrition is also affected. The new study is the answer to your question, whether washing rice can reduce some of the nutrients present in it.
The process from cleaning to cooking any food depends on how many nutrients your body will get. Similarly, when rice is washed, some water soluble nutrients may get destroyed due to which complete nutrition is not available. So let us know which nutrients can be destroyed with water and when there is no need to wash rice.
These nutrients may be less
Many studies have already been done on the starch present in rice, in which it has been found that by washing the rice, the micro plastics present in it are also washed away. According to an article published in Live Science, nutritionist, Mantzioris says that when you wash rice, the iron, copper, vanadium, zinc present in it (naturally water soluble nutrients) can be reduced. He says, however, that rice fulfills only a small part in the supply of nutrients in the daily routine. Therefore, washing rice is not likely to have any significant impact on its nutrition.
Many studies have been done before
A study conducted in 2019 says that washing rice to remove dust, remaining husks and bran is a normal process during the process of growing rice and removing its outer skin, but it can lead to nutrient deficiency. In fact, in many places it is washed 3 to 5 times before cooking and some wash it 2 to 3 times. With this, about 60 to 80 percent of the fat stuck on the upper layer of rice can be removed.
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There is no need to wash this rice
Packed rice available in supermarkets is usually cleaned and dried with machines like sieves and blowers before being delivered to the consumer. In such a situation, it helps in preventing the growth of microorganisms in rice during storage and it usually does not need to be washed. If you want to remove waste like soil or arsenic, microplastic from rice, then 1 or 2 light washes with water before cooking is sufficient.
Nutrition in rice
A report published in PubMed says that rice is a staple food for more than half the world’s population and it is grown in more than 100 countries and there are more than 110,000 varieties of it. Their quality and quantity of nutrients vary. Generally, apart from calories, rice is a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, iron, folic acid, thiamine and niacin, but it is low in fiber and fat.
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