The Miracle of Unpolished Rice : Health with Mahatma Gandhi

Where rice is the staple diet, and there are hardly other articles of food like wheat to supplement it, the miracle that unpolished rice can work within a few weeks of its taking the place of polished rice is apparent from the following cutting from the Madanpal, the monthly magazine of the Madanpalle Theosophical School:

• The introduction of brown rice in the hostel has made a great difference to the weights of the boys. In the first two months, July and August one added nine pounds, one eight pounds, one seven pounds, four added six pounds, three added five pounds, four four pounds, four three pounds, six two pounds, and six one pound. Four remained as they were, two lost one pound, one lost three pounds, and one who was excessively fat lost a superfluous five pounds.
• Nearly all the main increase ‘were during August, when only the brown rice served. Many who lost weight in the first month, when brown rice was alternating with white, more than regained the loss in the second month. Some have lost again in the holidays, but those who stayed here in the vacation mostly continued to put on weight largely.

1. In the first month, under mixed rice 17 lb. were lost and 55 lb. gained in the whole hostel (school section).
2. In the second month, under brown rice, only 5 lb. were lost and 100 lb. were gained.

“These figures should convince all save the most superstitious believers in the devitalized and demineralized “Nellore” rice. It is noteworthy also that those who on their own wish have been allowed to have this tasteless insipid variety have themselves after a few days returned to the healthy and appetizing brown rice, and that its popularity even among the college students is growing daily. One day in October when the supply ran short, there was even talk of a strike among our seniors against the substitution of white rice.”

The teacher who conducted these experiments is Mr. Duncan Greenless who takes a keen interest in diet reform. The carefulness with which the experiments have been made and the results recorded is commendable and I hope other hostels and boarding houses will follow this example.

~ Harijan, 28-12-1935

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