Supplements can enhance the textural and nutritional qualities of rice

24 Sep 2025

This study looked at how adding supplements like rapeseed oil, dried wasabi powder, and dried chili pepper powder changes the properties of cooked rice. The researchers used different methods to see how these supplements affect the rice, especially at how the starch is digested. They found that the rice became firmer, thinner, and less sticky when the supplements were added. Results also showed that the rice’s chemical structure changed, which means that the supplements interacted with the rice in new ways.

A key finding was that the supplements increased the amount of resistant starch in the rice. Resistant starch is a type of starch that is harder for the body to digest, and has benefits of improving blood sugar control and supporting gut health. The texture of the rice also became looser. This likely occurred because the starch and supplements worked together to change the rice’s structure.

The results of this study help us understand how these supplements can enhance rice’s texture and make it healthier. By looking at how these changes occur at a molecular level, the study shows how supplements can affect the digestibility and nutritional value of rice. The findings are crucial for developing functional foods with enhanced starch digestibility, offering potential health benefits. Additionally, the study contributes to the broader knowledge of how food supplements can alter the properties of starchy foods, paving the way for creating innovative, health-oriented food products.

Authors: Lin Wang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Yidi Cai (College of Food Science and Engineering, Dalian Ocean University), Peeraphat Prempree (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Rili Hao (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Human Health in Universities of Shandong | College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University), Dahai Jiang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Loraine Bainto-Ancheta (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños), and Yukiharu Ogawa

Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-75847-7

Supplements can enhance the textural and nutritional qualities of rice

This study looked at how adding supplements like rapeseed oil, dried wasabi powder, and dried chili pepper powder changes the properties of cooked rice. The researchers used different methods to see how these supplements affect the rice, especially at how the starch is digested. They found that the rice became firmer, thinner, and less sticky when the supplements were added. Results also showed that the rice’s chemical structure changed, which means that the supplements interacted with the rice in new ways.

A key finding was that the supplements increased the amount of resistant starch in the rice. Resistant starch is a type of starch that is harder for the body to digest, and has benefits of improving blood sugar control and supporting gut health. The texture of the rice also became looser. This likely occurred because the starch and supplements worked together to change the rice’s structure.

The results of this study help us understand how these supplements can enhance rice’s texture and make it healthier. By looking at how these changes occur at a molecular level, the study shows how supplements can affect the digestibility and nutritional value of rice. The findings are crucial for developing functional foods with enhanced starch digestibility, offering potential health benefits. Additionally, the study contributes to the broader knowledge of how food supplements can alter the properties of starchy foods, paving the way for creating innovative, health-oriented food products.

Authors: Lin Wang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Yidi Cai (College of Food Science and Engineering, Dalian Ocean University), Peeraphat Prempree (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Rili Hao (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Human Health in Universities of Shandong | College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University), Dahai Jiang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Loraine Bainto-Ancheta (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños), and Yukiharu Ogawa

Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-75847-7