Rice is the agricultural crop with the third-highest global production after sugarcane and maize. Rice is an essential food crop for human nutrition and caloric consumption, accounting for more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide.
Rice is basically planted by flooding the fields before or after planting seedlings. This primary method involves proper irrigation planning, but it suppresses the growth of weaker weeds and pest species that don't thrive in water and rodents. While rice production does not necessitate floods, other irrigation systems necessitate more excellent weed and bug control during growth and developing periods and a different approach to soil fertilization.
Rice is generally grown as an annual plant, even though it can survive as a perennial in tropical areas and produce up to 30 years as a ratoon crop. Rice cultivation is usually done and hugely successful in countries and regions with fewer labour costs and high rainfall because it is a labour-intensive technique to cultivate and requires ample water. But practically, rice can be grown anywhere, even on a hill or mountain area, using different water controlling terrace system techniques. The parent pieces of rice are native to Asia and certain regions of Africa, which took centuries to trade and exploit and made it commonplace throughout many cultures worldwide.
Rice comes in different shapes and sizes, and regional culinary tastes differ. Rice gets classified by the degree of milling, kernel size, starch content, and flavour. There are over 120,000 types of rice on the globe. Here in this article, you will learn about two famous types of rice, i.e., Brown Rice and White Rice; how they differ and Which is healthier among them?
List of Rice Varieties
Rice is one of the few grains which has several species. Rice varieties are also known as the list of rice cultivars. Asian rice is the most widely known and widely grown rice species with two major and significant subspecies called Indica and japonica, with over 40,000 varieties. The length and stickiness of the two subspecies of Asian rice, indica and japonica, can be used to distinguish them. Indica rice has long grains that are not sticky, whereas japonica rice has short grains that are glutinous.
Rice cultivars differ in genetics, grain length, colour, thickness, stickiness, aroma, and other properties, resulting in an extensive range of cultivars. For example, over nine major rice cultivars are bred explicitly for sake production. African rice and wild rice are also included in this list of the most known rice species.
Rice splits into two major types based on how it is processed: brown and white. Brown rice is entire grain, with only the inedible seed hull removed, whereas with white rice, the bran and germ get removed during the milling procedure. Milled rice does not always have to be white; Usually, people can consume purple, black, and red rice varieties whole grain or milled.
Most of the cultivars below can be eaten whole grain or milled (brown or white). However, there are typically solid cultural preferences for one or the other, depending on variety and area. Here are some of the rice cultivars which are very high in demand and high in growth in the list after Asian Rice and African Rice:
- North American Variety (20 different species)
- Australian variety (10 different species)
- Bangladeshi variety (with over 30+ different species)
- Canadian Variety (Uses species of African variety along with Wild Rice as their primary one)
- Chinese Varieties (Around five rice species used at a high level)
- French and Greek Variety
- Indian Varieties (Almost every state of the country has many different rice species famous in their region). - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana are ten states from India which have most of the cultivars and demand for different rice species.
- Nepali variety (Even though Nepal is a small country compared to others in the list. The country works with over more than 30+ varieties of rice species)
- Japanese Variety (Glutinous, Non-glutinous, Red Rice, Black Rice, Aromatic Rice)
Brown Rice and White Rice
Brown Rice
Brown rice is whole grain rice that strips of its inedible outer shell. This type of rice's outer hull or husk is lost, but the bran and germ layer remain, giving the rice its brown or tan colour. White rice is the exact grain like brown rice but without the hull, bran layer, or cereal germ. Whole kinds of rice with varying-coloured outer layers are red rice, gold rice, and black rice.
White Rice
White rice is milled rice that strips of the husk, bran, and germ. The rice's flavour, texture, and appearance change prevent it from spoiling, extending its storage life, and making it easier to digest. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a brilliant, white, and lustrous seed.
Nutritional Content of Brown Rice and White Rice
Brown Rice
Brown rice refers to a whole grain that is strong in fibre and high in magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, and manganese. Brown rice is a bowl of whole-grain rice with only the husk (outermost layer) removed. The following layers beneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed to produce white rice, leaving the starchy endosperm essentially.
Specific vitamins and nutritional minerals are lost during the removal and subsequent polishing procedure. Oil in the bran, which is lost with the bran layer, dietary fibre, minor levels of fatty acids, and magnesium are among them. Iron and Vitamins B1 and B3 are sometimes placed back into white rice to compensate for the absent nutrients. In the United States, the outcome is known as "enriched rice," It must adhere to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules to be labelled.
It has been discovered that germinated grains have nutritional benefits in general. Brown rice which is soaked for 4–20 hours in heated 40 °C (104 °F) water before cooking, is known as germinated brown rice (GBR). It was developed during the International Year of Rice. This promotes germination, which activates several enzymes in the rice, resulting in a complete amino acid profile, including GABA. Cooked brown rice is chewy; cooked GBR is gentler and appreciated by children.
White Rice
White rice has an identical calorie and high carbohydrate content as brown rice. White rice, unlike brown rice, is stripped of the bran and germ and has a different nutritional profile. Nutrients are removed during the grinding and polishing procedures.
Because of a thiamine shortage caused by an unbalanced diet centred on unenriched white rice, many people are susceptible to neurological disorders (vitamin B1). Some of the nutrients removed from white rice during processing are reintroduced routinely. In the United States, when white rice is supplied through government programmes to schools, organizations, or other countries, it must be enriched with B1, B3, and iron. Rice's nutritional makeup varies slightly based on the variety, soil conditions, environmental circumstances, and fertilizer kinds, as it does with all-natural foods.
I want to conclude the introduction of brown rice and white rice in favour of brown rice. Because except for iron and folate, brown rice has more vitamins and minerals than white rice. The majority of individuals widely tolerate rice. Both white and brown rice are gluten-free by nature.
Brown Rice or White Rice: Which One is Better?
Usually, in some cases, one type of rice may or may not be preferable to another kind. The type of rice a person uses can also be based on his health and diet. The following points explain whether brown rice or white rice is better for specific people with certain health conditions or goals.
Kidney Problems
Phosphorus and potassium are more abundant in brown rice than in white rice. These nutrients may need to be limited in the diet of people with renal and kidney disease.
Because renal illness impairs the kidneys' ability to regulate the quantities of these nutrients in the body, this is the case. If potassium levels are too high, it might cause various health problems, such as a heart attack that is too dangerous.
Kidneys are the organs that remove excess waste from the body through certain acids. So those must not be at excess levels, and the body must maintain proper levels and a healthy balance of vitamins, salts, minerals and water.
White rice may be preferable to brown rice in this scenario only because the patients may have different conditions with kidney problems in the body.
Low Fibre Diet
Sometimes, based on a patient/person's health condition, a doctor recommends A proper low fibre diet. In that case, white rice usually contains less fibre compared to brown rice. Most people may need to adopt a low fibre diet if they have health problems from the long term like diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease, suffer due to any blockage due to colorectal cancer or have undergone surgery on the gastrointestinal tract. Because white rice has less fibre than brown rice, it may be a better option for individuals with the problems mentioned above.
The low fibre diet restricts the number of nutrients a person gets and not designed to help anyone lose weight. Without sufficient guidance, the diet might have unforeseen consequences and worsen symptoms over time.
The leading low fibre food is white rice. Unlike white rice, people can add other low fibre foods to the diet. They are:
- White bread
- Low fibre cereal
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Fats
- Refined white flour foods
Some low fibre fruits include:
- Watermelon
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Fruit juices without pulp
Some low fibre vegetables:
- Carrots
- potatoes without skin
- Cucumber
- Tomato sauce
- Any other vegetables without seeds or skins.
All these foods can be added to a low fibre diet for a better living (if suggested by the doctor).
High Fibre Diet
Same as a low fibre diet, if a person needs to increase the level of fibre in their body, he must have a high-fibre diet to help with his body and their problems. In this case, brown rice contains more fibre than white rice, which helps increase the levels of nutrients in their body. People usually adopt and continue with a high fibre diet when suffering from High BP and cholesterol, obesity problems, heart diseases, constipation, and strokes. There are high chances of getting severe for people with Type 2 diabetes if they have fewer levels of nutrients. As brown rice tends to have more fibre, most of them with the above conditions tend to intake brown rice, which is good.
Fibre is a broad phrase that refers to any carbohydrate that your body cannot process. Your body does not use fibre as an energy source does not negate its importance to your overall health. A high-fibre diet can assist maintain gut health by regulating bowel motions, softening stool, and reducing constipation. High-fibre foods are also more filling than low-fibre foods, so they might help the people with the problems feel satisfied.
Other than brown rice, below are some food items that people can add to their diets:
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Berries
- Avocados
- Popcorn
- Brown bread
- Apples
- Nuts
- Dried Fruits
- Bananas
Benefits of Brown Rice and White Rice
As mentioned earlier, Both types of rice have equal levels of benefits and nutrients, which benefit specific groups of people in different ways. Here are some percentages of minerals present in brown and white rice, respectively.
Comparison of levels of nutrients in Brown and White rice
- Thiamine - Brown rice: 15%, White rice: 14%
- Niacin- Brown rice: 16%, White rice: 9%
- Vitamin B6- Brown rice: 7%, White rice: 5%
- Magnesium- Brown rice: 9%, White rice: 3%
- Phosphorus- Brown rice: 8%, White rice: 3%
- Iron- Brown rice: 3%, White rice: 7%
- Zinc- Brown rice: 6%, White rice: 4%
Brown Rice
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Rich in Nutrients
When it comes to the basis of nutrient content, brown rice has a slight advantage over white rice. It has extra fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. These variances, though, aren't significant. One hundred grammes of cooked brown rice contains 1.6 grammes of fibre, whereas One hundred grammes of white rice contains only 0.4 grammes.
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High Antioxidants
Brown rice bran includes numerous potent antioxidants that can neutralize damaging free radical molecules and reduce inflammation in the body. By increasing antioxidant levels, brown rice is usually shown to help prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cancer, kidney and heart diseases.
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Weight Control
Having brown rice in place of white rice Main may lead to weight loss, reduce the size of the waist and hips, and lower your body mass index. In a study, researchers found that the more whole grains a person eats, the lower their weight. Furthermore, when compared to white rice, a randomized controlled trial of 40 overweight and obese women indicated that brown rice lowered body weight and waist size.
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Heart Disease Risks
There is a fact that consuming brown rice instead of white rice will help in the reduction of the number of heart disease risk factors. People who eat whole grains, including brown rice, usually have a 16–21% lower risk of heart disease than those who eat the fewest whole grains. Brown rice and other whole grains may aid in the reduction of total and LDL harmful cholesterol levels. Brown rice has also been linked to increased HDL and good cholesterol. These findings, however, do not apply to other groups.
White Rice
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Ignores Antinutrients
Antinutrients are plant chemicals that make it difficult person absorb specific nutrients. Brown rice includes an acid called phytic acid, or phytate, an antinutrient that makes it harder to digest. While phytic acid has some health benefits, it also inhibits the absorption of iron and zinc from meals. People who want can soak rice before cooking to help maintain some of its nutritional content.
Long-term consumption of the same phytic acid with most meals may result in a mineral deficiency. People who consume a diversified diet, on the other hand, are unlikely to experience this.
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Low Arsenic levels
Arsenic is a dangerous heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment, although its levels have been rising in some places due to excessive pollution. Significant amounts of rice and rice-based products have been discovered. Long-term arsenic exposure increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
However, if you have rice in moderation as part of a different 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 reduce the amount of arsenic in it. You can eat white rice instead of brown rice because brown rice has more arsenic.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Which type of rice is the healthiest?
Naturally, Brown rice is the most nutritional type of rice and is recommended for a balanced and healthy diet because it contains extra nutrients.
When it comes to rice, what's the difference between brown and white?
Brown rice is a full grain, including both the bran and the germ. These are high in fibre and include a variety of minerals and vitamins. White rice acts as a refined grain that has had certain portions removed, resulting in a softer, faster-cooking grain.
What are the disadvantages of brown rice consumption?
Some of the side effects regarding the consumption of brown rice may lead to Gas, bloating, nasal congestion, drowsiness, cramps, constipation, diarrhoea, and other adverse effects.
Conclusion
In my thoughts, Brown rice appears to be a healthier option than white rice in general, while white rice may be a superior option in particular situations. This may usually differ from different people and cannot be compared as a diet to people having other health conditions.
On the other hand, people will only receive the benefits of any type of rice if they eat it as part of a balanced diet. Instead, they cannot start having all the available types of rice, which may increase the risks of other health problems to arise.
A diet is given to be followed in a proper timetable. The intake of food must be proper and must not be taken for granted. Another factor to consider is that some types of rice are better suited to rice dishes than others. Rice dishes, paella, and sticky rice, for example, may require simply a white variety of rice to be successful. Even though, as compared to white rice, brown rice has more fibre. But there are other foods which can provide even more high fibre which can help in working in the diets.
High Fibre meals are usually healthy, but they also have their risks when there is a high and unstable level of intake. There may be changes in the body, like bloating may happen, constipation occurs, and there may be pain in other forms of abdominal tissues. All of this happens very rapidly. This may make it a suitable choice for folks who want to eat more whole grains but want to gradually increase their fibre intake. When purchasing white rice, enhanced rice is the finest option so that there can't be any chance taken regarding the health condition. It has a higher nutritional value as a result of this. White rice and brown rice both have a high starch content, but brown rice has more fibre, minerals, and antioxidants. When eating white rice, include lentils and vegetables to make a well-balanced meal.
I want to conclude by saying that Brown rice is healthier and more nutritious compared to white rice. But, when there is a certain diet to be followed for the betterment of their health, One must have accordingly. Both brown rice and white rice have their advantages and flaws, which helps people work upon their diets and what to consume.
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