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Brown rice may help prevent heart disease

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Brown rice is already known to be a healthy food source of fiber and B vitamins, but researchers from Temple University believe eating the rice might also produce better cholesterol tests, as they have found evidence that it may also help prevent heart disease.

The study began when researchers noticed that people in Japan, where rice is a staple of their diet, tend to have fewer heart health problems. The study found that brown rice has a certain compound that blocks a protein known to trigger heart attacks.

Lead researcher Saturu Eguchi said the study sheds new light on potential ways to prevent heart problems, and could lead to better treatments in the future.

"Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventive medicine for cardiovascular diseases," he said.

In addition to the potential reduced risk for developing heart disease, other studies have shown brown rice to have a beneficial influence on and blood-sugar levels.