The change in food habits from traditional foods to junk foods has increased lifestyle-related health issues and diseases – such as diabetes, cancer and heart problems lifestyle-related diseases. Red rices meet most of the requirements of a good and healthy food. This cereal is the only one that is eaten as a whole grain, and is more easily digestible than in any processed form. As red rices have been found to have greater antioxidant property than white rices, it was time to reinstate them into daily diets of people.
Sahaja Samrudha chose a few rice varieties for scientific analysis. The study was conducted mainly to find the benefits of rice and enhance their cultivation and promotion. Clinical validation of their medicinal value is necessary in order to establish a niche in the global market. The promotion and conservation of this national heritage as a health food is critical in order to stem the onslaught of lifestyle-related diseases that has presently affected the urban citizens.
Results of Scientific Analysis
|Sl no||Variety name||Moisture %||Protein %||Fat %||Total ash %||Carbohydrates %||Crude fibre%||Calcium%||Phosphorous %||Iron (mg)||Energy/kcal/100g|
The purpose of the present study was a comparison of traditional rice varieties with two of the improved rices. Rice species are used as medicine, because of its potential as a traditional medicine. It has been in practice for generations, but with the introduction of hybrids these varieties are on the brink of extinction. Incorporating traditional rice into the present cultivation system would not only make the species accessible to majority of the rural population that uses it but also contribute to its genetic conservation. However, before widespread domestication of the species is implemented, it would be important to determine its genetic diversity in India so that useful genotypes that could be used as cultivars by farmers can be selected thereby also facilitating the efficient conservation, management and utilization of the species genetic diversity. The results suggest that red rice show great potential as the source of functional phytochemicals to provide beneficiary effects for human health.
Krishna Prasad, Sahaja Samrudda.