Black rice a superfood

Forget berries and Omega-3, black rice is the new superfood making waves.

 

Move over, blueberries; black rice is being hailed as the new superfood by US scientists. And it's cheaper, too. "A spoonful of black rice bran contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants," says Associate Professor Zhimin Zu from Louisiana State University.

Anthocyanin antioxidants can help fight cancer, heart disease and other diseases. While black rice is mainly used in Asian dishes for noodles, sushi and desserts, Professor Zu adds that it could also be added to breakfast cereals, cakes and biscuits to make them healthier. The team's studies show that black rice bran may also be healthier than brown rice bran, says Professor Xu.