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Rice is a major staple food and an ideal form of nutrition for all age groups from infants to old ages, for the healthy as well as those with disease conditions, as well as during pregnancy and lactation phase of the mother. Ayurveda recommends rice as a daily food to consume. In Ayurveda, rice and its recipes have been mentioned as a therapeutic diet for the management of various disease conditions like fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, insomnia, diabetes, obesity, and postpartum diseases.

Rice is a nutritive grain that serves as an important source of carbohydrates in routine dietary habits. It is a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. It has no gluten protein, less sugar, and sodium, and is a fair source of amino acids. In combination with different ingredients, it enriches its nutritive value and satisfies appetite. Having lesser sugar content, it is an appealing choice for patients suffering from diabetes and diabetic complications. 

Though rice is described as a nutritional ingredient, newly collected rice, and inappropriate methods of cooking and eating stale rice can make it an etiological factor for diseases like Raktapitta (bleeding disorders), Prameha (diabetes), and Sthaulya (obesity). Moisture content in new rice is higher so it gets broken easily and forms a semisolid consistency. Ayurveda also does not advise the use of processed rice grains as they possess a high GI (Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels after it's eaten or consumed).

Rice is nowadays cooked in a pressure cooker under high pressure and temperature where trapped steam is used for cooking. The traditional method of removing the gruel is not generally done here. Such rice preparations are high in GI and complex to digest. This is one of the reasons for the population becoming more prone to diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic diseases.

Ayurveda recommends the use of 1-year-old rice for health benefits as it is devoid of excess moisture and also gets cooked well. Rice grains washed with water three times and cooked by adding three times water become light and easy to digest, enhancing taste, nourishing, and diuretic. During washing, the starchy portion is removed so it lowers carbohydrates and thus in turn glucose.

Ayurveda recommends cooking rice by soaking it in water for 15-20 min and adding it to boiling water. Once cooked, the remaining gruel portion is removed. Separation of the gruel part lowers GI. For good health, it is advised to consume red rice as it has a higher content of nutritional compounds, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres compared with white rice.

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