Nutritional Values Of Enriched Long Grain Rice

White rice is a whole grain that has been refined. In the process, the bran that covers the grain is removed and so are the nutrients stored in the bran. Enriched rice remedies the nutrient loss. Manufacturers lace more than 70 percent of the white rice produced in the United States with the B vitamins niacin, folic acid and thiamine. They also add the trace mineral iron to the product.

Vitamins

One cup of uncooked enriched long-grain rice has six of the B-complex vitamins. It contains 15 percent of the recommended daily intake -- RDI -- for B-6, 71 percent for thiamine, 5 percent for riboflavin, 39 percent for niacin and 19 percent for pantothenic acid. This serving also provides 715.95 micrograms of dietary folate equivalent, or DFE, a unit created to measure the synthetic form of folate, known as folic acid. As a group, the B vitamins help your body break foods down into energy through metabolism. In addition, this serving of the rice gives you 1 percent of the RDI for vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects your cells from disease-causing molecules called free radicals. A trivial amount of vitamin K is also present.

Minerals

This serving of enriched long-grain rice provides all essential minerals except for sodium, whose content is negligible. It has 5 percent of the RDI for potassium and calcium, 44 percent for iron, 12 percent for magnesium, 21 percent for phosphorus, 13 percent for zinc, 20 percent for copper, 101 percent for manganese and 40 percent for selenium. Minerals perform various functions to keep you healthy. Potassium, for example, transmits electrical charges to activate your organs, cells and tissues.

Amino Acids

Your body makes proteins by creating chains of amino acids. The body can manufacture some amino acids but not those known as essential amino acids. These must come from foods. One cup of uncooked enriched long-grain rice is an excellent source of these substances. Its content of essential amino acids gives you 26 percent of the RDI for protein.

Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate your body does not break down into energy. It remains whole as it passes through your digestive system, helping to push the stool out. Roughage also plays a role in maintaining glucose and cholesterol at normal levels. The cup of enriched long-grain rice contains 10 percent of the RDI for fiber.

Additional Values

One cup of uncooked enriched long-grain rice is a cholesterol-free food that packs a lot of energy: 675 calories. It takes two hours and 25 minutes of moderate walking to burn that much fuel. The serving also provides 2 percent of the RDI for fat.