Rice is especially important to persons with wheat allergies and is commonly eaten as a first food by infants, as it offers the least cereal allergy.
Rice may be eaten as the whole grain, or polished shedding the bran. The nutritional value of rice with respect to vitamins is affected by the content so individual vitamins present and the amount removed or destroyed by milling or processing.
The once-prevalent deadly disease beriberi resulted from eating polished rice (thiamin removed in the milling process) as a staple food.
Today, most white rice is enriched with vitamins and minerals, to add back nutrients lost in milling.
Unpolished, whole rice is more subject to flavor deterioration and insect infestation than polished, white rice.
The protein content is about 7% which is not an appreciable amount. The protein level of rice is similar to those of potato and yam on a dry weight basis is the lowest among the cereals.
But since it is consumed in large quantities, rice supplies a good amount of protein. Rice also has the lowest dietary fiber content.
The primary place of origin of rice is Southeast Asia, where averages of more than 200 pounds per person a year are eaten.
China, India, Japan and Vietnam are some of the major rice consuming countries.
Nutrition of rice
