Energy & Metabolism
Black Rice
Once reserved for Chinese emperors, this dark whole grain owes its color to the same anthocyanins found in blueberries.
Heart Health
Vision
Anti-Inflammatory
Serving
1 cup, cooked (193g)
Calories Per Serving
NA
Key nutrients
Anthocyanins, fiber, iron, manganese
Nutrient density
Not officially rated
Why it’s worth eating
Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, is high in anthocyanins and fiber. It supports heart health and offers anti-inflammatory benefits. Use as a side dish or in grain bowls and salads.
What you may notice
Energy stability
Digestive comfort
Markers worth tracking
Fasting blood glucose
Lipid panel
How to eat it
Rinse before cooking and expect a longer cook time than white rice, the intact bran layer that holds the anthocyanins also makes it chewier.
Pairs well with
Vitamin C foods, helps recycle the anthocyanin antioxidants and improves iron absorption
Beans or lentils, rounds out the amino acid profile
Storage
Store uncooked black rice in an airtight container; keeps well for up to a year.
The numbers, per 1 cup, cooked (193g)
NA
Vitamin K
NA
Vitamin A
NA
Vitamin C
NA
Calcium
NA
Iron
NA
Magnesium
NA
Potassium
NA
Vitamin B12
NA
Vitamin D
Fiber
NA
No matching USDA FoodData Central entry found
Evidence
B
Outcome-dependent and genuinely mixed: pigment fractions showed anti-inflammatory signals in coronary patients, but isolated anthocyanins did not move LDL.
Study dose vs. serving
Positive trial used 10 g/day black rice extract. The null trial used 320 mg/day isolated anthocyanins for 28 days (n=52) with no LDL effect.
Wang Q, Han P, Zhang M, Xia M, et al. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007. PMID 17392122. Double-blind RCT, 60 CHD patients, 6 months. NULL counterpart: Aboufarrag H, et al. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2022;66:2101157.
Use caution if
You're managing blood sugar closely, still a starchy grain, though lower glycemic impact than white rice
You're sensitive to arsenic exposure, like other rice, choose well-rinsed, varied sourcing and don't rely on rice as the sole grain
Details
Type
Carbs
Season
Pantry, year-round
Forms
Whole grain, flour
Price
Mid
Bioactive
Anthocyanins, predominantly cyanidin-3-glucoside (about 88% of total)
Heat stable
No - cooking reduces anthocyanin 40-60%
Watch
Rice generally carries inorganic arsenic; black rice has not been shown to differ systematically from other brown rices in published surveys. Rinse and cook in excess water, then drain.
Reliability
3 / 5
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