Haiga rice - what is it? Why is it preferred over regular rice? Lately, Haiga rice has been gaining in popularity and demand because of it's quick cooking time and neutral brown/white rice flavor combination. It is most sought out after for it's nutritional contents and easy to digest nature. This rice goes through a special process during milling that keeps the germ intact but removes the rice bran. Hence its quick cook time and high nutritional value. It has the same tender texture of white rice but a natural brown rice flavor that is not too overpowering.

Rice germ is the nutritionally dense part of rice, containing vitamins like B1, B2, B6, E, and most notably Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This chemical is made naturally in our brains for anti seizure and anti anxiety effects. It works by blocking certain neurotransmissions aka brain signals that in effect relieve anxiety, depression, physical stress, and promotes calmness, good sleep, and good moods.

Because Haiga rice has the rice germ and not the bran, it is a great source of GABA and a great alternative to white rice for consistent consumption. Adequate intake of GABA can soothe the mind, enhance memory, and resist development of memory impairment conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Furthermore, low levels of GABA have been clinically associated with an array of diseases including Generalized Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Autism, Seizures, and Epilepsy. It is fair to say that higher levels of GABA have not been associated with high levels of disease, meaning the more GABA you have in your diet, the body is less likely to form certain kinds of disease. You can read more about that in the research featured from The National Center for Biotechnology Information below.

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