Black rice was known in ancient China as "forbidden rice" because no one but the emperor was allowed to eat it. This form of rice turns color from dark black to dark purple when cooked. The dark purple color is due to the high concentration of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are food pigments that give food their characteristic red, blue or purple color. Anthocyanins are very plentiful in foods such as blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, tart cherries and black rice. When consumed, these anthocyanin-rich foods are excellent dietary sources of antioxidants. Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center states that a spoonful of black rice contains more antioxidant power than a spoonful of blueberries.
Inflammation
Black rice contains a higher concentration of anthocyanins than any other food including blueberries and tart cherries. The consumption of anthocyanins can be effective in reducing inflammation. A study published in August 2004 in the "Behavioural Brain Research" journal revealed that the presence of anthocyanins were not only effective in reducing inflammation, but also effective in reducing the pain associated with inflammation. Therefore, black rice is an effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Asthma
Current research has also revealed that anthocyanins can also be an effective treatment for asthma. A study published in August 2007 in the "Food and Chemical Toxicology" journal showed that anthocyanins effectively counteracted several free radicals that induce airway inflammation and mucous secretion, which decreased the symptoms associated with asthma. This research proves that black rice, with its rich anthocyanin concentration, would effective at treating the symptoms associated with asthma.
Cancer
The anthocyanins contained in black rice have anti-oxidant properties and anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that anthocyanins also have chemotherapeutic properties. A study published in December 2009 in the "International Journal of Oncology" revealed that the presence of anthocyanins inhibited growth and, in some cases, destroyed human colon cancer cells. This research is encouraging for the use of anthocyanins and substances that contain anthocyanins as effective chemotherapeutic agents.
References
- Science Daily: Black Rice Rivals Pricey Blueberries as Source of Healthful Antioxidants
- PubMed.gov: Tart Cherry Anthocyanins Suppress Inflammation-Induced Pain Behavior in Rat
- PubMed.gov: Anthocyanins Inhibit Airway Inflammation and Hyperresponsiveness in a Murine Asthma Model
- PubMed.gov: Induction of Apoptosis in Human Colon Cancer HCT-116 Cells by Anthocyanins Through Suppression of Akt and Activation of p38-MAPK
- Linus Pauling Institue at Oregon State University: The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Anthocyanin, Flavanol and Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods (mg/100g or 100 ml*)
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