Rice is a versatile grain that is
eaten all over the world. Many people consider it a staple food, particularly
in China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and South Korea.
Rice comes in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, with over
7,000 varieties. White and brown rice are the most common varieties in the
United States. Although white rice is the most popular, brown rice is also
popular.
The benefits and drawbacks of both white and brown rice are
discussed in this article.
The difference between brown rice and white rice
Rice is mostly made up of carbs, with a small protein but almost no fat.
Brown rice, on the other hand, is a whole grain. That means it
contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious
germ, and the carb-rich endosperm. Because of its tough bran exterior, it's
chewy and takes a long time to cook.
On the other hand, white rice has been removed from its bran and
germ. White rice lacks important nutrients because these are the most
nutritious parts of the grain. White rice, on the other hand, is softer and
cooks faster.
Brown rice benefits
From a health point of view, brown rice has various advantages.
Nutrient-rich
When it comes to nutrient content, brown rice has a minor
advantage over white rice. It has extra fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and
minerals. These differences, though, aren't significant.
One hundred grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked brown rice contains 1.6
grams of fiber, whereas 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of white rice contains only 0.4
grams.
Other vitamins and minerals are compared based on their percentage
of a person's recommended daily intake in the table below:
| Brown | White | |
| Thiamine | 15% | 14% |
| Niacin | 16% | 9% |
| Vitamin B6 | 7% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 9% | 3% |
| Phosphorus | 8% | 3% |
| Iron | 3% | 7% |
| Zinc | 6% | 4% |
Positive effects on blood sugar levels
Brown rice is high in magnesium and fiber, which help with blood
sugar control.
According to research, eating healthy grains like brown rice
regularly helps lower blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of type 2
diabetes. Even simply switching brown rice for white rice has been shown to
lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, White rice intake has been linked to an
increased risk of diabetes.
This could be related to the fact that it has a high glycemic
index (GI). The GI measures how rapidly food raises your blood sugar levels.
Brown rice has a GI of around 50, but white rice has around 89,
indicating that white rice raises blood sugar levels significantly more quickly
than brown rice. Nevertheless, both are high in carbs, leading your blood sugar
levels to rise.
However, you can lower the GI of white rice by cooling it. This
forms resistant starch, which unchanged moves through your digestive tract and
works similarly to soluble fiber.
Cook your rice the day before you plan to eat it if possible. Then
put it in the fridge for the night. When you're ready to eat it, reheat it.
Boiling, cooling, and reheating white rice has a GI of 53.
Rice can also be used with lower GI items, such as vinegar or oil.
You can also try different rice kinds with lower GIs, such as:
- basmati
- red
- black
- wild
May reduce heart disease risk.
According to research, consuming brown rice can help reduce the
number of heart disease risk factors.
People who consumed the whole grains, including brown rice, had a
16–21% lower risk of heart disease than those who consumed the fewest whole
grains, according to a review of 45 studies.
Brown rice and other whole grains may help lower total and LDL
("bad") cholesterol. Even an increase in HDL ("good")
cholesterol has been related to brown rice. However, these findings are not
universal across all populations.
Rich in antioxidants
Brown rice bran contains numerous powerful antioxidants that can
aid in neutralizing damaging free radical compounds and decreasing inflammation
in the body.
Whole grains like brown rice have been shown to help prevent
chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes by increasing
antioxidant levels.
Aids weight control
Eating brown rice instead of white rice can help you lose weight,
lower your BMI, and slim down the size of your waist and hips.
Researchers discovered that the more whole grains people ate, the
lower their body weight was in a study involving 29,683 adults and 15,280
children.
Furthermore, compared to white rice, a randomized controlled trial of 40 overweight and obese women found that brown rice reduced body weight and
waist size.
White rice benefits
White rice has long been a staple in many traditional types of
food, and it has a long list of health benefits.
Brown rice contains anti nutrients.
Anti nutrients are plant compounds that might make it difficult for
your body to absorb certain nutrients. Brown rice includes phytic acid, or
phytate, an anti nutrient that makes it more difficult to digest.
While phytic acid has some health benefits, it also limits the
absorption of iron and zinc from food. Rice soaked before cooking can help
maintain some of the nutritional benefits.
Long-term consumption of phytic acid with most meals may result in
a mineral deficiency. People who consume a varied diet, on the other hand, are
unlikely to experience this.
Brown rice contains arsenic.
Brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice.
Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in the
environment, although its levels have been rising in some regions due to
pollution. Rice and rice-based goods have been found to contain significant
quantities.
Long-term arsenic use raises the chance of chronic diseases like
cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
However, if you eat rice in moderation as part of a varied diet,
this should not be an issue. It should be fine to have a couple of servings per
week.
If rice is a large part of your diet, you should take steps to
reduce the amount of arsenic in it. There are several effective tips in this
article.
The bottom line
White rice and brown rice have high starch content, but brown rice
has more fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants. When eating white rice, include
lentils and vegetables to make a well-balanced meal.
However, both types of rice can be part of a healthy diet, as proven by white rice's long history in many cultures' traditional food. Although brown rice has a better nutrient quality, there's nothing wrong with eating white rice as part of a well-balanced diet.