The rice dilemma again! Among the two varieties, brown rice is widely recognized as a healthier option. What exactly is the difference between the two? Is it really that much better compared to white rice?
The key differences between white and brown rice
Brown rice is a whole grain — meaning, it has all parts of the grain, such as the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ, and the carbohydrate-rich endosperm. White rice, on the other hand, is only the carb-rich endosperm with both bran and germ removed. This is why brown rice is considered to be healthier than white rice.
- Bran: fiber-filled outer layer with B vitamins and minerals
- Endosperm: starchy carbohydrate middle layer with some proteins and vitamins
- Germ: nutrient-packed core with B vitamins, vitamin E, phytochemicals, and healthy fats
So, as you already see, rice bran and germ contain many minerals (zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc), B Vitamins, a minor amount of protein, and antioxidants. Hence, brown rice is comparatively more nutritious than white rice. Furthermore, brown rice is naturally free of often very problematic protein (gluten), making it a safe choice for those who can’t or choose not to consume gluten.
Which rice is best for weight loss?
Since the fiber content in brown rice is higher than that of white rice, it does not evoke an immediate glycaemic response from the body — in other words, the glucose levels do not rise immediately when you consume brown rice as the body takes more time to release glucose to the blood because of the high fiber content in brown rice.
Hence, replacing white rice with brown rice may help reduce belly fat, too. In one study, 40 overweight women who ate 2/3 cup (150 grams) of brown rice per day for six weeks had significant reductions in body weight and waist circumference compared to women who ate the same amount of white rice.
Which rice is better for muscle-building purposes?
Rice is a classic bodybuilding food. Both white and brown rice have their benefits with respect to training and building muscles.
White rice causes more of an insulin spike due to its very low fiber and fat content. This means it can be a better option for consuming around the training time (before and immediately after the training) since it digests quickly (is also easy on the stomach) and is available as an energy source very quickly. Immediately after your workout (as soon as you put your weights down), your body is a sponge for soaking up nutrients, so there is a window of anabolic opportunity in which you have to take some fast-acting carbohydrates (like white rice) to replenish empty glycogen stores in your muscles.
Brown rice, on the other hand, can do a great job as part of a post-workout meal, providing some extra nutrients to recover from your workout and help you get stronger for your next one. Therefore, at times of the day when you aren’t training, the carbs from brown rice are much less likely to go to body-fat storage than those from white rice. If you prefer white rice, then taking a fiber supplement (such as glucomannan) shortly before your meal will help reduce the undesired insulin impact of white rice and increase the length of time it takes to digest your meal—great for when you’re trying to cut body fat on a moderate-carb diet.
How to turn white rice into more healthy and weight-loss friendly?
Now comes the interesting part! The body understands the food you have eaten as a whole. It does not take aside rice, curry, etc., separately while digesting them inside your stomach and intestine!
If you like white rice more, you can still eat it and make it healthy by adding fibrous vegetables and other protein sources. For example, if you eat white rice + leafy vegetable (broccoli, collard greens, spinach, Swiss chard) + chicken, your body understands the entire food as a whole! It understands the total fiber + protein + carbohydrate content. The above-mentioned food plate is a lot healthier than having brown rice with some curd and pickle!
This means that with a bit of common sense, even a diabetic person can have white rice, as long as they manage the total fiber + protein intake. Brown rice can also be high in arsenic, which can be harmful to digestive organs in the long run. Besides, thanks to adulteration, brown rice these days is often polished brown and comes with many coloring agents to make it brown and look healthier.
What about long-grain and basmati white rice?
Long-grain and basmati white rice are almost as good as brown rice in terms of the effects on your blood sugar (they both have Glycemic Index values of about 80). This is much better than some other varieties of white rice, which may have Glycemic Index values as high as 119.
Researchers have discovered that the reason why long-grain and basmati rice are so much better than other varieties of white rice is due to its high content of a particular type of starch called amylose. Amylose is digested more slowly than other rice starches, causing less impact on blood sugar.
Long-grain or basmati white rice, therefore, are a better choice for white rice. However, the principle of choosing grains in their whole, natural form still holds true. Any type of brown rice is still better for you because it contains valuable fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Closing thoughts: White Rice Vs. Brown Rice
In a nutshell, brown rice or white rice, it really doesn’t matter much. What matters is how common-sensical and smart you are with your food choices! As you could read in this article, white rice becomes almost identical to brown rice with the simultaneous consumption of fibers (even weight-loss friendly). Always question the over-marketing spree and make conclusions scientifically and logically, and you are sorted.
