The brown rice detox diet is said to be a high fiber seven-day cleanse. As the name implies, brown rice is the main ingredient. The question is: does it work?
Why Brown Rice?
The premise behind the brown rice detox diet is that brown rice is eaten because it is a whole grain and the fiber plays a role in cleansing your system. When brown rice is milled, only the inedible outer hull is removed while the rest of the grain is left intact. This makes it a healthy, whole-grain that works like a broom as it works in the intestinal tract.
Nutritional Benefits of Eating Brown Rice
As a whole grain, brown rice is a natural source of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. These include:
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B6
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Essential fatty acids
How to Follow the Brown Rice Detox Diet
The theory behind the brown rice detox includes a plan that requires eating several small meals throughout the day. All of these meals include brown rice. However, there is more than one brown rice detox approach. While these two approaches differ, they do agree that the fiber in brown rice is thought to help cleanse the body of toxins. Where they do differ is in what other foods can be eaten.
Brown Rice Diet 1
The first brown rice diet approach requires eating five to six small meals of brown rice each day for as long as two weeks. The rice is cooked in water with no other ingredients. For this version of the brown rice detox, no other food is eaten. Liquids include drinking eight to ten glasses of pure water each day and fresh vegetable juice is also allowed but only occasionally. Those who follow this rice and water eating pattern believe the toxins will be cleansed from their system within the two weeks.
Brown Rice Diet 2
The second version of the brown rice detox is a more balanced approach. Along with brown rice, this version recommends eating fruits and vegetables, preferably raw. In fact, homeopaths who recommend this diet suggest that only organic, raw fruits and vegetables be ingested. Plenty of water and limited recommended and fresh fruit juice is also permitted.
This version of the brown rice detox is followed for one week. It eliminates all processed foods from the diet, but does offer more meal variations that the plain brown rice meals of version one. For example, you can eat fruit and brown rice for breakfast, plain brown rice for lunch, and vegetables and brown rice for dinner. While food choices are limited, dieters are allowed to eat as much of any of these foods as they want throughout the day.
Facts About the Brown Rice Cleanse
Is the brown rice cleanse a fad diet? Yes, but not all fad diets are unhealthy. The real question to consider would be: Is the brown rice diet healthy and does it actually detoxify the body?
The first version of this detox diet limits a person to eating brown rice only. It is not a healthy or balanced approach to dieting as it lacks in necessary nutrients. However, the second version of this diet does include fruits, vegetables, healthy whole grain and fresh water. It could be considered a healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet that could lead to weight loss.
As for the detoxification claims, people who follow the brown rice detox may feel better when they follow the diet. However, this cleansing feeling may be the result of the diuretic side-effect from drinking water combined with the laxative effect that results from eating brown rice. There is no clinical proof that eating brown rice will remove toxins from the body or improve a person's health.
If you are considering this diet for weight loss or detoxification, it is best to talk to your doctor first. She knows your medical history and can tell you whether or not this diet is a healthy one for you.
