SPROUTED BLACK RICE
SPROUTED BLACK RICE

SPROUTED BLACK RICE

Regular price
$23.00
Sale price
$23.00

Sprouted Black Rice

The Forbidden Royalty Secret

Rice has never been known as a superfood or functional food.  Brown rice enthusiasts do not know that the bran and germ portion of it are irritants to some sensitive digestive tracts.  Also, the “organic brown rice” movement do not know how laden with Arsenic most brown rice today is.  The absence of pesticides does not necessarily mean the absence of heavy metals and other toxins.

However, with Black Rice – the ballgame has changed, and rice has its superhero!

In ancient China, Black Rice was also known as Forbidden Rice as it was set-aside exclusively for the Royalty and the Emperor.  Noble Chinese men took control of every grain, and sanctioned against consumption by anyone who was not of royalty or wealthy status.  Black Rice was only cultivated in small quantities, kept under close monitoring, and kept for the special and highest of elite classes.  Commoners then were barred from growing or consuming Black Rice – which explains its unique “Forbidden Rice” name that has lasted till today.  It imbued far-reaching longevity and youth-promoting benefits with particular known benefits for the kidneys, stomach and liver.  It is also known as Purple Rice, and Mountain Rice in Thailand.

From a macronutrient perspective, Black Rice has the highest protein and fibre content of any variety.  It is low in calories, has a low GI value, and is rich in B Vitamins such as niacin and thiamine, Vitamin E (gamma tocotrienol), amino acids, and minerals such as magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and phosphorous.

 

Here are some of the benefits of Black Rice:

  1. Antioxidant Power – Black rice has very high levels of anthocyanin antioxidants made popular by blueberries, blackberries and the like. In fact, it has higher anthocyanin levels than blueberries per spoonful comparison!  The gamma tocotrienol it contains also greatly augments its antioxidant powers!
  2. Heart Protective Benefits – Decreases dangerous atherosclerotic plaque formation in the arteries, maintains healthy cholesterol metabolism.
  3. Good Source of Dietary Fibre – Fibre is the one lacking macronutrient in today’s diet that doesn’t just improve digestive health, but also protects against obesity, heart disease, diabetes and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
  4. Great Against Hypertension
  5. High Solubility with Low Acid Levels
  6. Pleasant Tasting, Satiating, and Leaves You Feeling Full Longer
  7. Weight Management – The abundant amount of C3G (Cyanidin-3-Glucoside) found in black rice turns off the genes that result in fat storage, and switches on the genes for fat metabolism.
  8. Great for Diabetes
  9. Strong Anti-Inflammation Properties
  10. High GABA Content – Increase blood flow to the brain, calm the nervous system, inhibit cancer-cell proliferation and more.

However, there is a caveat to consuming black rice – without the right preparation methods, much of this healing magic can be lost.

 

Why is Our Black Rice So Amazing?

Rice cultivation typically involves substantial use of chemicals. Wet-land rice, grown in the same rice paddies over many years, depletes the soil to the point that considerable use of chemicals is required.  In contrast, all of our mountain-grown, dry-land black rice is organically grown by organically certified black rice co-ops which are comprised of Hill Tribe farmers.  These are relatively indigenous people who respect the good old farming tradition and the symbiotic relationship they have with the eco-system at large.  They are unlike hugely automated or large-scale mono-cropping operations.  Also, supporting these small farming communities gives them a sustainable income to keep going.

This is why our Black Rice is unsurpassed in quality and actual benefits:

 

  • Black rice is inspected prior to harvest and only fully mature black rice is harvested
  • Normal rice milling processes removes the germ and majority of the kernel, where the fibre, anthocyanins and vast majority of benefits are removed from the black rice. Some countries even steam the rice prior to shipment – damaging thermo-sensitive components.  We employ a soft-milling process which retains the kernel and germ.
  • To remove enzyme inhibitors, to fully develop its nutrient profile, and to make its nutrients more bioavailable and more digestible, the rice undergoes a sprouting process. This “activates” the Black Rice.
  • It will then be washed in a tumbling machine with pure reverse osmosis water with ozone, thereby removing all forms of harmful bacteria, dehydrogenating enzymes, E. Coli, viruses and pathogens without leaving behind any by-products attached to the black rice.
  • The black rice is then put through a vortex freeze-drying process where the raw material is constantly moving in a spin-like manner – encouraging a lot of movement to expose greater surface area and result in quicker sublimination and drying.
  • This process “grinds” the product in low temperature conditions unlike in traditional freeze-drying methods which are mechanically ground after drying which still produces heat due to friction (as this is a static and non-kinetic process). These traditional grinds produce flat surfaces and sharp corners that are not the best for assimilation and uptake by the body.  Our process results in very fine grind that has a porous structure with higher surface area.
  • This allows complete elimination of moisture with no heat used, nothing added or extracted – hence you get the whole product as nature intended with its freshness, potency, and properties fully retained. The elimination of moisture is so thorough that the powder remains “dry” for a very long time, even in very humid conditions.
  • This vortex freeze-drying process also ensures the black rice is ground along natural cellular fracture-lines, sustaining cellular integrity and retaining extracellular contents i.e. the natural secretions of black rice, retaining as close to the original cellular/molecular structure of the whole herb as possible – and hence, retaining the full divine wisdom of mother nature.

The resulting powder is vacuum sealed to be transported for packing and broken open just prior to packing.  A simple taste and smell test would instantly prove the freshness and potency superiority!