News India Live, Digital Desk: Don’t eat rice at night, you will get fat!”, “You will catch cold!” – These are some of the things that we have been hearing since childhood. Rice is an important part of the diet of us Indians, but when it comes to eating it at night, there is a confusion in everyone’s mind. Some people consider it bad for health, while for many people dinner is incomplete without it.

So the question is, what is the truth? Is eating rice at night really harmful for our health? Let us understand this from both science and Ayurveda perspectives.

Why worry about eating rice at night?

Some of the main reasons behind this concern are:

1. Fear of gaining weight: This is the most common belief. Rice has high amount of carbohydrates, which gives instant energy to the body. According to science, our metabolism i.e. the process of digesting food slows down at night and we do not need much energy. In such a situation, this extra energy can get stored in the body in the form of fat, which causes the risk of weight gain.
2. Digestive problems: According to Ayurveda, rice has a cooling effect. Our digestive fire (Jathragni) becomes weak at night, due to which it can be difficult to digest a heavy thing like rice. Due to this, some people may have complaints like flatulence, gas or indigestion.
3. Increase in blood sugar: White rice has a high glycemic index (GI), which means it increases blood sugar levels rapidly. It is not considered good for people who have diabetes or insulin resistance.

So, should one not eat rice at all at night?

It’s not like that at all! Eating rice at night is not harmful for everyone. It depends on who you are, how much and how you eat rice.

For whom can eating rice at night be beneficial?

• For good sleep: The carbohydrates present in rice help in delivering an amino acid called tryptophan to the brain. This tryptophan helps in producing hormones like serotonin and melatonin, which are essential for restful and deep sleep.
• Easy to digest: Rice is easily digested, so for people who have an upset stomach or who have been advised to eat light food, khichdi or plain rice is a good option.
• People who want to gain weight: If thin people want to gain weight, then they can consume rice in right quantity at night.

Keep these things in mind while eating rice at night, otherwise there will be no harm:

If you want to eat rice at night, you can avoid its side effects by following some simple rules:

1. Pay attention to quantity: Instead of eating a full plate, eat a small bowl of rice.
2. Perfect Combination: Always eat rice by mixing it with pulses, vegetables or curd. This reduces the glycemic load of food and also provides nutrition.
3. Brown rice is better: Choose brown or single-polished rice instead of white rice, as it has more fiber which is good for digestion.
4. Take care of time: Eat food at least 2 to 3 hours before sleeping. This gives the body full time to digest food.
5. Use Ghee: Adding one spoon of ghee to rice and eating it makes digestion easier and reduces the problem of gas.

Overall, eating rice at night is not completely wrong. If you consume it in the right quantity and in the right way, keeping your health and lifestyle in mind, it will not harm you.