You must be speculating if white rice is healthy or not. Because, by watching this statement circulating all around that brown rice is the better and healthier option you must be thinking about white rice and why is it not as beneficial as the brown rice. White rice is healthy! And this article is all about it.
White rice and its general information
- White rice is the popularly consumed form of rice.
- We get white rice when the rice bran is removed and the rice gets polished.
- It comes with many benefits as it contains 90% carbohydrates.
- The remaining 10% comprises of 2% fat and 8% protein.
Brown rice
- Brown rice is different than white rice as it is the natural occurring form of rice.
- Since it is not processed, it has most of the bran which is considered nutrient-rich or healthy.
- Comparatively, it has low percentage of carbohydrates and contains more fat.
White Rice healthy or not!
If we compare in terms of nutrients, brown rice is the sure shot winner and the better one. But this is not enough to conclude that white rice is any less healthy than brown rice. If we take grasp of some key differences we can understand this subject much better.
The points are as follows:
- Brown rice as I said has the germ and the bran which are removed in the case of white rice.
- The germ can go old and rotten quite quickly so the rich amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid is oxidized easily which further leads to so many reactions in the body.
- This clearly means that all nutrient-rich bran can lead to potentially difficult symptoms.
- Brown rice is rich in dietary fiber and it is in more quantity in brown rice than in white rice.
- The bran which is not removed in case of brown rice contains highest concentration of fiber.
- But we must know that excessive intake of fiber is bad for health. It can cause abdominal cramps and bloating.
- Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient which we remove by soaking brown rice.
- But according to some studies the phytic acid still remains in the bran even after the brown rice is soaked for 20 minutes.
- White rice is not entitled to be healthy much because of the fact that it contains high amount of starch which is considered as unhealthy by health-activists.
- But the thing worth understanding is that starch is necessary for the body. It is only harmful if it is taken excessively.
Conclusion
Brown rice is no doubt nutrient rich but the important footprint of anti-nutrients like phytic acid that inhibit mineral absorption that not make it a better or far more healthier option than white rice. So we can say white rice is healthy for you.
