Science Says Curd Rice Can Make You Happier & More Focussed. Here’s How!

Have you ever eaten a nice, filling plate of curd rice only to find yourself snoozing on your desk afterwards? Well, it’s happened to all of us!

When I was in school, my teacher would round up everyone who had eaten curd rice for lunch, and make them stand up, so that they wouldn’t fall asleep. Unfortunately, his method never stopped me from nodding off.

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Well, now you can say that eating curd rice actually boosts your brain activity and makes you happier!

See, curd has this unique amino acid called tryptophan, which is an essential compound for the human body. The interesting bit is that the acid is not synthesised by the body, which means that tryptophan can only be obtained from foods we eat.

What makes tryptophan essential to us, it that it is used to synthesise various other crucial chemical compounds for the human body like serotonin and melatonin.

Serotonin is a vital compound in the brain that regulates mood, appetite and sleep. It also has cognitive function, and aids in learning and memory.

However, tryptophan needs to reach the brain in order to be completely utilised by it, and this can only happen when it crosses the blood-brain barrier. This is not easy for tryptophan as it has to compete with other amino acids to enter the organ.

This is where the rice of “curd rice” comes in. In a research piece published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that meals rich in carbohydrates, promoted the transfer of tryptophan.

And what is rich in carbohydrates? Why, rice of course!

So this awesome combination of tryptophan-rich curd with the carbohydrate-filled rice can increase brain activity because as we learned earlier, it can be used to produce serotonin.

So the next time you are caught napping after a hearty curd rice meal, just tell your waker-upper that your brain is synthesising compounds they can’t comprehend.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Hey, you may also like: Beyond Basmati: 7 Scented Varieties of Traditional Rice You Need to Try Now!

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