Healthy Alternative with Antioxidants

Asian black "forbidden rice" may offer more health benefits than others.
A handful of stories focus on the health benefits of black rice, which is the subject of a new study presented at the American Chemical Society in Boston, by Zhimin Xu, associate professor at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, and colleagues.
CNN /Health.com (8/26, Storrs) pointed out that black rice "is still relatively rare," although "researchers are trying to bring its distinctive flavor and mix of antioxidants to the masses," because the rice "is full of antioxidant-rich bran, which is found in the outer layer that gets removed during the milling process to make white rice." The bran of black rice also "contains the antioxidants known as anthocyanins, purple and reddish pigments -- also found in blueberries, grapes, and acai -- that have been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer, improvements in memory, and other health benefits."