Many people are always on the hunt for the right substitute wheat flour like us. We have come up with a super-beneficial substitute that not only benefits your health but also gives you radiant-looking skin. Here is a complete detail of rice flour for you to enlighten yourself.
How is Rice Flour Made?
Rice flour is made by grinding the rice into a fine powder. Similar to other flours, rice flour is also made by separating all 3 parts of grains and then grind them into the fine powder in different proportions according to preferences. The ratio of germ and bran varies in different proportions. Some prefer whole grain flour which has all three parts of the kernel. White flour contains only endosperm whereas whole flours are mostly missing in germ and bran. Many people prefer brown rice flour, which lacks in germ and endosperm and only has bran in it.
Apart from nutritional advantages, rice flour is abundantly used in the skincare routine. It is well known for its exfoliating and sunblock effects.
History of Rice Flour
Cultivation and harvesting of rice history back to ancient times and was the major crop. At the start, only rice was consumed as a staple crop for cooking but with time, other benefits and uses of rice were discovered. The use of rice in the form of rice flour was introduced to the world in the 1980s. Asian cuisine was the first one to use rice flour in making rice cakes and noodles. Asians also used them for gluten-free baking.
Now in modern times, people who are allergic to gluten, prefer to use rice flour as an alternative to whole wheat flour, to avoid any health issues.
Nutritional Facts of Rice Flour
The following nutritional facts are for 100 gm of rice flour
- Energy : 359 kcal
- Carbohydrates : 80.1 gm
- Moisture: 9.6 gm
- Protein : 5.9 gm
- Dietary fiber: 2.4 gm
- Lipids: 1.4 gm
- Minerals: 0.6 gm
- Folate: 4 mcg
- Calcium: 10 mg
- Iron: 0.4 mg
- Phosphorus: 98 mg
- Copper: 0.1 mg
- Selenium: 15.1 mcg
People having any celiac disease can freely consume this rice flour without any danger of getting any health-related problems.
Benefits of Rice Flour
Youtube is crowded with tons of face masks and the main ingredient is rice flour because rice flour brightens and exfoliates the skin as well as protects our skin from UV rays. Besides nutritional benefits, rice flour has numerous beauty advantages especially related to skin. Some of the skin benefits are as under:
1. Sun Protection
Rice flour contains ferulic acid and PABA or vitamin B10, which provides ultimate protection against the harmful UV rays of the sun and also stimulates the cell regrowth that gives our skin supreme glow and brightness. Due to its protective nature, it was once used in sunscreen products but it caused allergic reactions in some people and is no longer used now. Ferulic acid has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties and is extensively used along with vitamin C and E to get maximum protection against UV rays as well as improves the stability of vitamin C and E.
2. Oil Absorption
Rice starch is the best remedy for oily skin and scalp. This starch absorbs excess oil from the skin and scalp. It has a binding ability that binds water and stabilizes the fat. Now in modern days, rice starch is used in many skin and hair care products that help in absorbing oil control the shine, and diminishes the appearance of the pores.
3. Acne and Hyperpigmentation
From ancient times, rice flour was used to improve acne and lighten skin. And still, in the modern age, rice flour is used in making face masks that treat acne and improves the skin tone. An antioxidant called Phytic acid is extracted from rice and is more effective than any other AHAs. A small study conducted in 2019 found that phytic acid is an excellent treatment for acne and hyperpigmentation. The phytic acid is found to be effective in treating mild to moderate acne as well as inflammation caused by acne.
Nutritional Benefits of Rice Flour
Apart from skincare benefits, rice flour has some astounding health benefits
- It is an outstanding choice as an alternative for whole wheat flour as whole wheat flour has gluten and many are intolerant to gluten whereas rice flour is gluten-free that is perfect for gluten intolerance and auto-immune conditions like Celiac.
- The insoluble fibers present in rice flour keeps our digestive tract in shape. It also aids in cardiovascular health, maintains the blood sugar level, and keeps the bowel movements regular.
- Bones and skeletal health is maintained at their best as rice flour is a rich source of calcium which is an excellent choice for bone health.
- Rice flour is an exceptional choice if anyone wants to build up muscles because it contains a healthy amount of protein.
- The immune system of our body can be kept at its best as rice flour has minerals, zinc, that is good for boosting the immune system.
Side effects of Rice Flour
Besides countless benefits of rice flour, there are some drawbacks of using this flour and these are as follows:
- Folate Content: Folate is an important nutrient that is utterly important in maintaining cardiovascular health and since rice flour has a lower folate count as compared to whole wheat flour, it is not a good choice for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Whole wheat flour provides 14% more folate than rice flour which is extremely important for growth during pregnancy.
- Fewer Phytonutrients: Whole wheat flour, as well as rice flour, contain very important phytonutrients called Lignans which are known for their cancer-fighting properties, but whole wheat provides 30% more lignin as compared to rice flour. Thus, rice flour lack in maintaining our cardiovascular health, fight against cancer, and reducing cholesterol levels.
Final verdict
This amazing flour is commonly used in several DIY masks for skin brightness and exfoliation. The components of rice such as ferulic acid, PABA, and phytic acid extracts are used in skincare routine but only in extract form rather than rice flour itself. Therefore, rice flour use is more common in beauty products as well as in gluten-free baked products. Besides these skin and health benefits, rice flour lacks many important nutrients like folate and lignans.
