International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 241 Vol.8; Issue: 2; February 2018 International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571 Review Article Role of Black Rice in Health and Diseases B. Thanuja, R. Parimalavalli Dept. of Food Science & Nutrition, Periyar University, Salem, Tamilnadu, India Corresponding Author: R.Parimalavalli ABSTRACT Black rice is a type of rice species Oryza sativa L. and is consumed as functional food due to the usefulness to health. Black rice contains higher levels of proteins, vitamins and minerals than common white rice. Black rice contains essential amino acids like lysine, tryptophan; vitamins such as vitamin B 1 , vitamin B 2 , folic acid; and it is a good source of minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and selenium. It contains the highest amount of antioxidants, protein and dietary fiber of all rice varieties, besides it has phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Antioxidants are first line of defense against free radical damage, and are critical for maintaining optimum health and well- being. These antioxidant compounds have tremendous health benefits and can reduce the risk of developing various chronic diseases. This rice enhances health and longevity, protects heart health, reduces atherosclerosis, controls hypertension, improves digestive system, has anti-inflammatory action, reduces allergy, detoxifies the body, improves lipid profile , reduces risk of diabetes, helps in weight management, reduces growth of cancer, boost cognitive function and increases quality of life . Hence Black rice is an excellent alternative to white and brown rice, due to its nutrient density, high fiber content, and rich antioxidant content. Key words: Black rice, Dietary fiber, Phenolics, Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, Antioxidant content, Free radicals. INTRODUCTION Rice is the staple food for most of the people in different countries. Black rice is one kind of rice that is getting more popular recently and is consumed as functional food due to the usefulness to health. [1] Black rice is also known as purple rice, forbidden rice, heaven rice, imperial rice, king’s rice and prized rice. [2] Black rice contains higher levels of proteins, vitamins and minerals than common white rice. [3] Black rice contains essential amino acids like lysine, tryptophan; vitamins such as vitamin B 1 , vitamin B 2 , folic acid; and it is a good source of minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and selenium. [4] Black Rice is a good source of fiber and even a good source of plant-based protein. It contains the highest amount of antioxidants, protein and dietary fiber of all rice varieties. [5] One serving of black rice (1/4 cup or 50g) contains approximately 160 calories. Each serving of this type of rice contains 5g of protein and 2g of fiber and 1g of iron. [6] Both brown rice and black rice contain vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. However, black rice is superior when compared with brown rice because it contains more protein and fiber than brown rice. And also black rice has an extremely high antioxidant content, which provides a number of additional health benefits. [7] Pigmented black rice contains about 6 times more antioxidants than brown rice. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) pigmented varieties, such as black rice, have a higher content of