Black rice is rich in benefits

Makintau - Black rice has a myriad of health benefits. In its history, this rice was considered the food of the kings. In China it was once referred to as forbidden rice (forbiden rice). Because at that time only the royal family could consume it.

In general, there are three types of rice, namely white rice (Oryza sativa), brown rice (Oryza glaberrima) and black rice (Oryza sativa L. indica). Of the three types, white rice is most widely consumed followed by brown rice.

In Indonesia, people are more familiar with black sticky rice than black rice. Although the color is equally black, black rice is different from black glutinous rice. Likewise with its nutritional content. Its properties and texture are similar to ordinary rice compared to glutinous rice.

In terms of taste, black rice is a little pera is not so "pulen" like white rice. To cook it, it takes more water and longer time. After cooking, this rice has a strong aroma that upsets the appetite.

Benefits of black rice

If you read a number of literature scattered in cyberspace, black rice is heralded like a medicine of all things that can cure everything. But is that true? Let's review it carefully again.

Black rice is food, not medicine. Although it may work the drug under certain circumstances. Like food in general, its efficacy is more about disease prevention than treating. There are also the main benefits are as follows:

• Prevent cancer. It is beneficial to prevent cancer because it has a high anthocyanin content. Based on many studies, anthocyanin is one of the most powerful antioxidants. As is widely known, antioxidant substances play an active role in preventing cancer.
• Prevent diabetes. The calorie value is lowest compared to other types of rice, which is about 362 kcal per 100 grams. This calorie content is closely related to the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a number that indicates how much a food can increase sugar levels in the blood after consumption. The higher the glycemic index, the food will trigger a higher blood sugar rise. So that this rice is classified as a healthy food and is recommended for diabetics.
• Prevent heart disease.  Brown rice has a high fiber content. This is felt from the slight taste of the pera, not as dense as white rice. Any food that has a high fiber cada will certainly play an active role in maintaining your heart health.
• Anemia medication. The iron content is high at 15.52 ppm. Iron is one of the important elements in the formation of blood (hemoglobin). Therefore, foods that will be iron are highly recommended for people with anemia.
• Anti aging (anti aging). It is still related to the content of antioxidants that play a role in repairing damaged body cells. So that if the body's cells quickly repair themselves, a person will look fitter and younger.

Types and characteristics of black rice

The types of black rice in Indonesia come from diverse cultivars. Most farmers get it from a down-and-down inheritance. Some purify it from black rice circulating in the market.

Black rice seeds circulating in the market are Cempo Ireng (Kulon Progo, Sleman), Melik (Slopes of Mount Merbabu, Central Java), Cibeusi (Subang), Toraja (Sulawesi). These types of black rice generally have the following physical character:

• Rice threads are black. The black color is genetically regulated by the color of the aleuron and the composition of starch in endospermia. Aleurons and endospermia produce anthocyanins that cause a purple color. Due to the high levels of anthocyanins this purple color becomes black. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant substance that is needed as an anti-cancer.
• Brown grain color. Although the color of the rice is black, the grain skin is still brown like ordinary rice. It's just that at the time of filling rice grain grain color will blacken, but will turn back to brown when cooked. This is different from black glutinous rice that is black grain-skinned as well.
• The plant is long-lived. In general, the constraints of black rice development are that the long harvest life can reach 200 days. However, there are some varieties that have been genjah (short-lived harvest), can be harvested in 4 months. Unfortunately, the seeds are still difficult to find and even if there is not necessarily stable.
• The posture of the plant is high. The local black rice archipelago postures its plants are sturdy. Its height can reach 2 meters. However, some crosses today get shorter plants.

Black rice production

Based on information from the Biogen Great Hall, since 2003, black rice varieties have been developed taken from the crossing of Silugonggo variety rice with brown rice. This cross strain produces rice plants that are genjah aged (age to harvest) 90-100 days with a plant height of 90-100 cm.

Another black rice breeding effort was recorded by the West Java Agricultural Office in 2009. Obtained three variants of rice commonly grown by farmers in Cibeusi and Ciater Villages, Subang Regency. The variant is bright yellow, dull, and blackish. Rice from Subang is known as Cibeusi. Cibeusi rice has a genjah life of up to 200 days with a productivity of more than 5 tons per hectare.

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