Half the world's people rely on rice as their staple food. Rice offers B vitamins and some minerals; its protein features a good balance of amino acids. Wild rice – not a true grain but the seed of a wild grass – supplies slightly more protein than brown rice, and is considerably lower in kilojoules.
Wild rice is a very good source of zinc, which might be called the ‘food-lover's mineral’ because it keeps your sense of taste working properly. Some studies have also shown that zinc (in the form of lozenges) helps fight the common cold.