When Brown Is Better Than White

by TwinToddlersDad on October 5, 2009

in Science of Food

brown rice

Last week I wrote about the mystery of enriched flour, which on the surface appears healthy but in reality not as good as whole grain. In response, a reader wondered:

What about rice? Why is white rice called not so healthy compared to brown rice…is it because the first one is polished and the latter one is not?

We don’t normally eat brown rice because we prefer basmati rice. In fact, we eat it almost every day at dinner. It tastes great and has a low glycemic index. So, I decided to research this question to confirm if brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice.

The short answer is YES!

Just like the process of milling wheat removes the bran and the nutrient-rich germ to leave behind carbohydrate-rich endosperm, milling rice does the same to produce white rice. During my research, I found a great website called the Cereal Knowledge Bank from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which is a Philippines-based non-profit agricultural research organization. Here is a link to a great summary of modern rice milling.

RiceMillingAfter pre-cleaning the rice paddy, the husk is removed. What you get at this stage is brown rice; this is the whole grain. Which means that it contains the bran, the endosperm and the germ. Polishing removes the bran layer from the brown rice. The amount of bran removed is called the milling degree and it is usually in the range of 8 – 12%. The higher the degree of milling, the higher is the amount of vitamin and oil-rich layers removed. Finally, whole kernels are separated from large and small broken kernels and polished further to add luster.

Here is a comparison of nutrients in brown rice and white rice on a 100g cooked basis. White rice is of un-enriched variety. Source: USDA Nutrient Database.

BrownRiceWhiteRiceNutriComparison

Red is “bad”, yellow is “about the same” and green is “better” compared to brown rice.

Overall, white rice contains a much lower amount of dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Brown rice is definitely better from a nutritional value point of view. The problem is that the oils from the bran layer can oxidize and turn the rice rancid in as few as 6 months. Brown rice therefore comes with an expiration date! Also, it takes longer to cook, the taste is chewy and it does not come out as fluffy as white rice.

Does it mean you should stop eating white rice and switch completely to brown rice? Definitely not! If you are eating  a lot of high glycemic index white rice (jasmine rice for example), it will be better to consider switching to brown rice at least a few times. And if you simply can’t give up white rice, try white basmati rice!

Photo source: Photoxpress
©2009 Littletomaks.com

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Maija Haavisto October 5, 2009 at 11:24 am

I don’t eat brown rice, because I don’t like it, but I try to eat bulgur (which is whole wheat) or quinoa (superb nutritional profile!) whenever possible instead of rice.

2 Dr. Ayala October 5, 2009 at 11:27 am

Great post!

There is a huge variety of brown rice types in the markets, so if you try one and don’t like it go to another–there must be one you’ll REALLY love. My staple brown rice is an organic short grain brown rice Whole Foods sells in bulk. As you advised I buy enough for a week or two and don’t overstock. I use the long cooking time to my advantage–I know I can leave the pot unattended for a good one and a half hours and find the rice still nutty, fragrant and not overcooked.

3 Alina October 6, 2009 at 1:24 pm

We like Trader Joe’s basmati brown rice. It is soooo yummy! I also have a friend who mixes one cup of white with one cup of brown to appease people who prefer white rice.

4 TwinToddlersDad October 6, 2009 at 3:26 pm

Thanks Alina! Love the idea of brown basmati rice, we will need to try it sometime!

5 Heather @ Not a DIY Life October 11, 2009 at 3:38 pm

Me and the kiddo like brown rice, but my hubby doesn’t. He likes the sticky white rice. But I have a new recipe that I’ll be try this week and i’m hoping that it will result in a stickier brown rice so that he’ll like.

Thanks for sharing this great info!

6 Beena October 14, 2009 at 10:04 am

Thanks for doing the research on brown and white rice…it is very informative.

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