Brown Rice vs White Rice Which Is Healthy For You

Rice is a classic bodybuilding food, and is a staple carbohydrate around the world particularly of those chasing fitness and health goals. Specially if you are an asian you might know we love our rice. 

Rice is also a versatile grain, as it can go with any other ingredients or gravy. Rice comes in all shapes and sizes from long grain basmati rice to japanese sticky rice. But Which Is Healthy For You? 

To understand that, first let us understand what's the difference between these two rice. Brown rice is whole grain rice meaning it contains all the essential nutrients and does not go under any mechanical or chemical process. 

On other hand white rice  is nothing but the most refined and processed form of brown rice. In simple words white rice is, something you get when you take off the bran and germ from brown rice.

If you are a fan of white rice you are missing all essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, lignans, phytoestrogens, and phytic acid and many more...

Brown rice is nutritious and a recommended food to improve eating habits and overall health. Let's find out why you need to switch your rice with the right one.

Nutrient Contain Of Rice:

Brown Rice 

Nutrient contain for four-ounce serving of brown rice.

• Calories 127
• 0.9 gram of fats
• 26 gram of carbohydrates
• 2 gram of fiber
• 2.6 gram of protein

White Rice 

Nutrient contain for four ounce serving of white rice.

• Calories 147
• 0.2 gram of fat
• 33 gram of carbohydrates
• 0.3 gram of fiber
• 2.7 gram of protein

Comparing - Brown Rice vs White Rice

1. Brown Rice is Higher in Fiber

Fiber is really essential for your body as they not only keep you fuller, but also help lower your cholesterol levels. 

On an average men require 38g of fiber per day and an average women requires 25g of fiber per day. Including fiber rich diet is best way to manage weight and also reduces the risk of of heart disease.

However consuming too much fiber can actually lead to irritable bowel syndrome, gas and bloating.  [1]

2. Brown Rice Decrease The Risk Of Diabetes

Brown rice are great source of potassium and magnesium that keeps your blood sugar level in control while preventing you from the risk of diabetes.

In fact some research also show that brown rice may be more effective to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes . According to a study women who ate whole grain had lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes upto 31%. [2]

On other hand consuming refined grains like white rice and even refined flour is linked to increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

3. Is Rice Good for Weight Loss?

Managing weight can be really easy if you know what food you put in. Brown rice is packed with fiber that keeps you full for longer period of time, keeping your hunger pangs at bay. 

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate whole grains such as brown rice weigh less than those who eat refined-grain foods such as white rice. 

However there are some other studies that state that white rice may also help you lose weight. [3]

Also Read: 5 Ways To Burn Fat Faster.

4. Time Taken To Digest Rice

When it comes to digestion brown rice may not be the best option, as they have more Phytates and lectins that binds to vitamins and minerals and prevent your body from absorbing them. 

Other digestion downfall is that brown rice still has the bran and germ, which makes it harder to digest and get absorbed by our body. Eating them regularly can also lead to digestive problems like leaky gut or inflammation.

However white rice has no bran and germ, making it easy to defeat and get absorbed by our body.

5. Brown Rice is Higher in Vitamins and Minerals

Beside fiber brown rice is also great for its nutrients contain. Brown rice is full of essential minerals like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, lignans, phytoestrogens, and Folate, that keeps you health and safeguard you from many health problems.

On other hand white rice is more of empty calories and carbs with very few essential nutrients. 

However it should also be remembered that even though brown rice might be nutrient dense, your body cannot actually absorb them all. Brown rice also have more phytates and lectins than white rice, preventing your body from absorbing them.

Why Athletes Eat White Rice?

White rice combined with grilled chicken breast, is one of the most popular meals for lifters. When your body go through intense training that includes powerlifting or any other exercise your body requires more carbohydrates than fiber.

And white rice is great source of pure carbohydrates that makes it a better choice for athelete to have more of white rice. It's recommended athletes consume 60g/h of carbohydrates for prolonged exercise lasting more than two hours.

Which Type Should You Eat?

Brown rice can be a better option  to go with. The nutrients present in brown rice are greater than white rice, on plus point brown rice can also prevent you from the risk of diabetes, heart disease and also provide you with essential nutrients.

However if you are finding it hard to digest, brown rice may not be a best option for you. You can enjoy white rice too. Just in moderation. 

How to Cook Brown and White Rice

Basic Steamed White Rice

Start by rinsing the excess starch from rice, this will ensure the end product to be light and fluffy without being overly sticky and gluey.  Cooking white rice take not more than 15 minutes. However time may vary according to the quantity of rice.

Basic Steamed Brown Rice

While cooking brown rice you need to have a lot of patience. As this rice takes time to cook. However this rice has more flavour and nutrients than regular white rice. Brown rice take 1 hour to cook completely.

A Word From Healthyngreat

It is really important to know how the foods you eat affect your body so that you can learn to use them to your advantage.  I hope you are clear about the rice you need to go for. But you should also remember that  they are beneficial in their own ways.  White rice may be easy to digest, however brown rice may be not. Similarly brown rice is packed with nutrients but white rice is not. You have to try both the options to find out what works better for you. If you are new to our blog and prefer our statistics please subscribe us and follow us and you will be notified everytime when we post some thing new.

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