Love eating rice? Know its health benefits from Rujuta Diwekar

If you are one of those who cannot do without your daily dose of rice and dal, here is some good news for you. According to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar this nutritious food has several health benefits. Myths abound when it comes to rice. Many people think that eating rice can make them gain weight or that it lacks nutrients and is hard to digest. Well, the next time somebody tells you to not have rice, you can share all the reasons of having a delicious rice meal that not only satiates your taste buds but is also light on stomach and great for skin. Want to know more benefits? Scroll ahead.

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on her Instagram account shares all the benefits of rice that you need to know. Diwekar's posts and videos on food, nutrition, health problems are quite popular among her followers and connect with the masses. She has been talking about the benefits of fresh and locally sourced food and the meals cooked in Indian kitchens on her social media handles.

ALSO READ: Are spices good or bad for you? Rujuta Diwekar has this to say

Benefits of rice

Good for gut health: Rice is good for your gut health and promotes a nurturing environment for healthy bacteria. "Rice is a pre-biotic, it feeds not just you but the diverse ecosystem of microbes within you," says Diwekar.

Versatile: Rice is quite versatile and cooked in a variety of ways. "Hand milled, single polished rice can be cooked in versatile ways from kanji to kheer and everything in between," she says.

Controls blood sugar levels: Rice leads to steady blood sugar response when you eat like the way Indians eat it - with pulses, dahi, kadhi, legumes, ghee even meat, says Diwekar.

Light on stomach: Unlike a common myth rice is not hard to digest. It is easy to digest and light on the stomach, says the nutritionist.

Balances hormones: Eating rice leads to restorative sleep which further leads to better hormonal balance. Especially required in the ageing and the very young, according to Diwekar.

Good for skin: Ever thought that a daily meal of rice with your favourite dal can do wonders for your skin? It does, Diwekar confirms. "Great for skin, gets rid of enlarged pores that come with high prolactin levels," she says.

Promotes hair growth: Diwekar says having rice sustains and improves hair growth that an impaired thyroid may have damaged.

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