The scientific name of jungle rice is Echinochloacolona. Its origin is from Tropical Asia – Himalaya to West Malaysia. It is a kind of annual weed that belongs to the Poaceae/Gramineae family. The jungle rice is cultivated as fodder grass and cereal in tropical Asia, Australia, Africa, and the western United States and Canada, and China. The jungle rice has many health benefits, such as boost the immune system, good for diabetics, good for healthy digestion, it is acting as an energizing agent, improve heart health, etc.
The size of jungle rice is from 1 – 1.2 m. The root of jungle rice is fibrous. The flowering season of jungle rice is from July to September. The propagation of jungle rice is by seed. The season of jungle rice is from August to October. Seeds of jungle rice are cooked and used as millet. The leaf sheet of jungle rice is smooth and margins free in the upper part and the basal portion of the sheath is often tinged with red.
You can consume jungle rice raw with rice. Young shoots of jungle rice are eaten as a vegetable in Java. When you consume the jungle rice on regular basis, then it will fill you with a lot of health benefits. In traditional medicine, jungle rice was used to treat nausea and constipation. Also, jungle rice is very useful in the treatment of constipation and biliousness. The jungle rice is used in spleen and hemorrhage problems.
Here are some health benefits of jungle rice:
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Energizing:
Jungle rice is considered one of the healthiest and most beneficial staple foods. The jungle rice has balanced amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. In Ayurvedic medicine, this food was said to be one of the healthiest. The perfect composition of fats, protein, and carbohydrates as the main source of energy is able to provide us with energy. The jungle rice is high in energy, but when it is consumed, it feels light in the digestive tract. You can combine the jungle rice with quinoa.
Lose weight:
The jungle rice has high amounts of dietary fiber which enables you to feel full for a little longer after you eat this rice. In this way, you can prevent cravings and manage your food intake. The jungle rice is very suitable for people who want to lose weight. Jungle rice will make amazing things in your body to lose weight.
Good for diabetics:
The jungle rice has good amounts of carbohydrates. It is low in sugar content. This makes jungle rice one of the best foods which diabetics can use in their diets. This is possible because diabetics should consume foods that have a low glycemic index. In this way, diabetics will be able to avoid spike-up blood sugar by replacing white rice with jungle rice. You should not be worried about its taste, because it is able to be combined with their usual favorite side dishes for rice and the most important thing is that it is equally filling.
Maintain healthy digestion:
The dietary fiber in jungle rice can help to control weight. Also, it is beneficial for the whole digestive system. Jungle rice is digestible food and it is able to maintain bowel movement, so it is possible to prevent constipation. Also, the minerals in jungle rice, such as selenium and manganese are able to protect the gastrointestinal lining by forming a shield, so it is not easily infected.
Boost immune system:
The jungle rice is rich in Vitamin C. Also, it has Vitamin A. These vitamins are antioxidants that are able to prevent the development of many diseases. Also, these antioxidants are able to combat the attack from free radicals and they can help to eliminate the unwanted material in the body.
Improve heart health:
The jungle rice has dietary fiber which can help to improve the health of the heart. This is possible because healthy food with high fiber content is able to cut off the bad cholesterol in the blood. We know that cholesterol is strongly linked to the health of the heart. In this way, the consumption of jungle rice is able to reduce the risk of heart disease, such as the coronary heart.