Rice: old or new food?

: The aim of this paper is to focus the attention on the role of rice not only as food, but as a natural dietetic product. In fact, a regular intake of rice may contribute to the well-being of subjects due to the particular positive qualities of this food (high digeribility, high biological value of amino acids, high content of EFA, positive sodium/chloride rate, high content of selenium and silicium, antihypertensive effect) which have been scientifically confirmed. Stress is laid on the particular nutritional composition of rice, underlying the dietetic usefulness of this food and the new frontiers of rice as functional food.