Rice Water, A Recyclable, Natural Resource For Hair Or Skin Nourishment And Food Nutrition
By: Grace Koo
Description and Rationale
Rice Water is easily available recyclable water in the Philippines. It is made by the water being used for cleaning rice before the rice is cooked. This natural ingredient has been introduced to other nearby Asian countries for being helpful for cosmetic care and also food nutrition. Recently, uses of this product increased as it became famous to be effective (International Business Times).
What is rice water’s impact on the local ecology? Is it drinkable water, or is it just used externally? Is it biodegradable water or does it have toxins that can make it a pollutant? Does its presence affect people’s livelihood when made? What components does it contain that makes it a cosmetic or food supplement? Can it give skin irritations or other internal problems to some who use or drink it? Will it help local people financially when used as an alternative to the cosmetic products that are sold in the markets? Or will the money used for processing it be of a greater value? Are there legitimate reasons why such an abundant resource is being discarded?
Can there be new ways to utilize this water into a cheaper option for cosmetics? Rice water currently is just being disregarded among the local people. It is only thought of as dirt water left over from cleaning rice grains before being cooked. What are the reasons for this being disregarded? How much is based on observations made scientifically and how much is being ignored by this being thought of as nonsense? If beneficial uses for rice water are found, such as nutrition for our body, hair, skin, and cleaning agent for various uses, what would be the best way to demonstrate its positive results to the local people and barangays that eat rice during meals?
The initial purpose for this project will be to research the biology and ecology of the water left over from cleaning rice before being cooked, through a search of the literature, as well as firsthand observations and interviews with people living in run down tenements who eat rice during meals (without the assistance of a Tagalog-speaking interpreter). These initial findings will help guide the experimental phase, where key variables in the rice water’s usefulness will be further explored.
It is hoped that new uses of the previously unneeded water left over from rinsing rice might help improve the livelihood of the people living in rundown tenements with low financial standards, through a more informed understanding of an abundant biological resource.
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Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Rice is also called Oryza sativa. It is organized by several names as there are multiple kinds cultivated in different surroundings. Color and length are also the standards for assorting. The short grained and sticky are called Japonica or Sinica variety while the non-sticky long grained are called the Indica. Other synonyms include Tinawoy and Unoy(Philippines) for the third subspecies tropical japonica or the javanica.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta-Flowering plants
Class: Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Order: Poales-bromaliads
Family: Poaceae – Grass family
Genus: Oryza L. – rice
Species: Oryza sativa L. – rice
There are many types of rice that are not classified scientifically as rice. They are usually seeds of long grasses that are classified similarly to rice. An example is the wild rice which is actually the seed of a long grass that grows well in fairly deep water.
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Morphology and Physical Description
The rice plant can grow to 1–1.8 m tall. It though may vary depending on the type of kind and the fertilization of the soil. Its grass part has long, thin leaves that are about 50-100cm long and about 2-2.5cm wide. The plant has flowers that are wind-pollinated which has height that is about 30–50 cm long. The grain (caryopsis) which is its edible seed is around 5–12 mm long and 2–3 mm thick.
Internally, the plant’s stem has three interesting unique features compared with other types of grassland crops. These three systems are called the dermal tissue system, the ground tissue system, and the vascular tissue system. The ground tissue system is the outer covering of the plant. Within it contains 4 regions called the epidermis, stomatas, cuticle, and trichomes. Only the cuticle and the epidermal tissue comprise this system.
The ground tissue system also has 3 regions called the chlorenchyma tissue, the storage parenchyma cells and their contents, and the aerenchymous. Lastly, the vascular system is comprised with complex functions and different tissues. These two tissues are called the phloem and xylem tissues.
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Getting Food
Rice can be cultivated through several of ways. Since Philippines is one of the localities countries, the traditional hand method for cultivating and harvesting will be described. First, because Philippines is a tropical country which only has wet or dry season, the field needs to be prepared by plowing usually with land animals like buffalos (or carabaos). Next, fertilizing and smoothing needs to be done so that the growing plants would grow healthily. The seedlings are not cultivated right away in the field, they are first placed in seedling beds then after 30-50 days, they are transplanted to already flooded field. The fields are maintained irrigated in growing seasons. They are allowed to be drained before cutting the harvest. When they are well cultivated, the rice plants’ are still covered by a brown hull called ‘paddy’. Before being sold, the paddies are threshed to loosen the hulls by flailing, treading, or working in a winnowed free of chaff by tossing it in the air above a sheet or mat.
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Reproduction
The rice plant uses asexual reproduction to reproduce. They produce seeds with or without fruit in their reproductive growth. A process that takes place at a growing point at the tip of stem, is called the flower and seed development often called shoot apical meristem (SAM). Reproductive growth goes through a growing point once only. .
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Environmental Factors
The rice plant has several different environmental factors. Pests, for an example are one of the great factors that reduce its cultivation. They are defined as organisms or microbes that reduce the value of rice crop. These are usually weeds, pathogens, insects, rodents, and birds. Weather conditions contribute to these increasing numbers of pests. Major rice pests include armyworms, planthopper, the green leafhopper, the rice gall midge, the rice bug, the rice leafholder, the stemborer, and rats. Some major diseases include the rice ragged stunt, Sheath Blight and Tungro. Aside from these, the rice blast, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea, is the most significant disease that affects the rice cultivation. The symbiotic relationship between the plant and the pests are called Parasitism where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
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Origin and Distribution
Rice was first domesticated in Asia. The Indica kinds in eastern India, Thailand, and Myanmar while the Japonica in southern China. In the Philippines, rice cultivation in the Cordillera Mountain Range of Luzon in the provinces of Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao are where the greatest evidence of rice cultivation since ancient times can be found. The Filipinos use a special method of cultivating rice by carving terraces that were built in mountains. They were called the Rice terraces or Hagdan-hagdang palayan ng Banaue In Tagalog. They were ancient irrigation processes that helped the plants to harvest better.
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Importance to People
Nearly half the population of the world depends on rice for survival. In Asia particularly, rice would be the main dish for every meal. In most countries, they are 70% of the calorie intake of a person’s diet. Most people rely on rice because of its high energy substance. Not only energy, it has many vitamins and nutrients that help maintain a healthy diet. It has excellent source of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. It also is low in fat, salt, sugar, cholesterol, etc that are not healthy to human’s body. Being low in fat, rice is suitable to include in a diet for those watching their weight. It is also low in cholesterol, therefore being an excellent food to include in a cholesterol lowering diet. Rice is also gluten free. It helps those who are unable to digest the proteins found in other grain-like grass like wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Rice contains resistant starch, which is the starch that reaches the bowel undigested. This helps the growth of beneficial bacteria, keeping the bowel healthy.
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Survivability and Endangered Status
Since the 1990s, rice’s growth production has been slower than its consumer’s population growth. Indeed, it is predictable that there will be a need to increase the rice production by 30% by 2025 in order to sustain those who rely on them as an energy source. However, because of the climate change, soil erosion and other problems threaten rice yields. Many acres of rice are being cultivated in the Philippines though the exact number is immeasurable. Because it is the main food that is eaten in almost every meal, they are usually cultivated by almost all the farmers.
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Potential Solutions
Is rice water a good substitution for chemical hair products? It has not been recognized at this point by this researcher whether rice water is a valuable new recycled biological replacement which is as effective as the chemical cosmetic products that are on sale or whether it is a not so reliable resource that has no effect or even have symptoms that may occur. Further research and field studies about the biology and its chemical substances in the recycled water are necessary before determining if rice water is a benefit or liability among the poor Filipino families who have interest in cosmetics or hygiene care. There seem to be several promising livelihood possibilities that may be able to benefit the trash pickers and poor families that do not have enough money to afford beauty products on sale. Below are 3 possibilities with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for each. Along with each possibility is a current status report of progress made to date on each of the possibilities
Possibility 1 -Hair Treatment
Recycled water from the remains of washing rice has been known to several Asian as a good resource for hair enrichment. Many women frequently use this recycled water to treat their hair and make it healthy. By observing the results, it clearly showed that it was effective. Because many Filipinos cannot afford to buy expensive hair care products that are being sold, this discovery can be an alternative to their needs.
Advantages:
1. Filipinos, especially women who cannot afford expensive treatments for their hair can use this method without sacrificing their budget.
2. By using this recycled product, the environment will not be polluted for there are no chemicals that are present.
3. It would be helpful to some who have skin irritations that cannot use products made with chemicals.
Disadvantages:
1. The ingredients are not certified medically. There is no certainty about the results. It may have no advantage to some.
2. .The proportions are not accurate. The amount of each ingredient is not specifically measured. It may be different every time as it depends on the amount of rice that and water that were being used.
3. There could be polluted particles that are washed off from the rice that may be harmful to the hair.
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Possibility 2 -Facial Treatment
Many Filipinos desire to have a lighter skin tone. That is why many whitening facial products are being the bestsellers. Rice water can be an inexpensive substitute that may possibly have similar results to those that are sold in the markets.
Advantages:
1. Many of the products that are sold are expensive. Poor Filipino families cannot afford that much for cosmetics. Even buying food for their meals might be difficult for some.
2. Because rice water is only composed of natural ingredients, it is a healthier option.
3. Many face care products that are being sold in the Philippines seem to be strong. They seem to dry out the skin too much. Those who have delicate skins can use this as an alternative.
Disadvantages:
1. There might be chemicals that were sprayed to the rice plants that may have been drained into the water. This might cause skin problems.
2. If not properly rinsed, the left over from the rice water may cause skin disorders like pimples.
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Possibility 3 -Nutrition
In Korea, many housewives use rice water when cooking soups for meals. The water left over from rinsing rice has been known for its nutrition. They believe that there are vitamins that come from the rice when washed. If Filipinos that live difficultly use this method when cooking soups, they could get more nutrition from their meals.
Advantages
1. Many Filipino children that live in the squatter area lack nutrition. Since this recycled water has some nutrition from the rice, it would be better than just using plain water.
2. It would make dishes like soups more starchy which would give a more full feeling when eaten.
Disadvantages
1. Filipino people would not approve of the idea of using rice water as food.
2. Some may have allergies from rice.
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Bibliography
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