Brown rice has several advantages, but there is one drawback to be aware of.
Rice is a cost-effective and nutrient-dense component to any meal. And with so many varieties to select from, such as white, brown, black, bamboo green, and even pink rice, it can be tough to determine which is the healthiest.
However, it's reasonable to say that the two most prevalent choices for American customers are white or brown rice, and the two aren't that dissimilar.
White rice is made by removing the outer bran layer from brown rice, the full-grain. Some individuals prefer brown rice to white rice because the bran layer, which is removed for white rice, includes many different nutrients.
Although brown rice has some fantastic health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and lowering the risk of diabetes and certain cancers, you may be curious about the drawbacks. Brown rice has a higher level of an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, one of the most significant disadvantages of consuming it.
An anti-nutrient is a molecule found in various plant products that can prevent our bodies from receiving certain nutrients. Phytate, also known as phytic acid, is an anti-nutrient found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains such as brown rice.
What effect does it have on your health?
According to a study published in The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, phytic acid in food is known to decrease the body's absorption of minerals, notably iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. In other words, even if you eat foods that contain these minerals, phytic acid may prevent your body from benefiting from the nutrition you eat.
Many scientists use the term digestibility to determine how much of a nutrient is absorbed by a consumer. This figure is calculated by comparing the levels of nutrients consumed with those present in the person's excrement.
Although brown rice's overall digestibility is poorer than white rice's, there are ways to mitigate the impacts of its phytic acid concentration, according to a paper published in Comprehensive Reviews of Food Science and Safety.
How may phytic acid's adverse effects be reduced?
Although the phytates present in rice may have some detrimental effects on mineral absorption, the Harvard School of Public Health considers that the benefits of consuming brown rice outweigh the disadvantages.
Foods Journal recommends soaking brown rice at higher temperatures before cooking to eliminate some of the natural phytates to continue eating brown rice while avoiding greater levels of phytic acid.
According to Harvard Health, Brown rice that has been soaked or sprouted before cooking contains less phytic acid.
Last but not least, according to Harvard Health, phytic acid hinders most mineral absorption when consumed with other foods.
So, if you eat anything high in iron with your brown rice for lunch, the minerals from that meal will be limited the most by your brown rice.
This is why Harvard advises against eating a lot of the same phytate-rich food at once instead of spreading it out as much as possible.