Brown rice has several advantages from a health perspective.
Table of Contents
Nutrient rich
Brown rice has a slight advantage over white rice when it comes to nutrient content. It has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as more vitamins and minerals. However, these differences aren’t hugely significant.
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For comparison, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked brown rice provide 1.6 grams of fiber, whereas 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of white provide only 0.4 grams of fiber (2, 3).
The list below compares other vitamins and minerals in terms of their percentage of a person’s recommended daily intake (2, 3):
Positive effects on blood sugar levels
Brown rice is high in magnesium and fiber, both of which help control blood sugar levels.
Research suggests that regularly eating whole grains, like brown rice, helps lower blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes (4). Even just replacing white rice with brown has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and decrease type 2 diabetes risk (5).
On the other hand, eating lots of white rice has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes (6, 7, 8).
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This may be due to its high glycemic index (GI). The GI measures how quickly a food increases your blood sugar.
Brown rice has a GI of about 50 and white rice has a GI of about 89, meaning that white rice increases blood sugar levels much faster than brown. Still, both are very high in carbs, which will cause your blood sugar levels to rise (9).
However, you can lower the GI of white rice by cooling it. This forms resistant starch, which moves through your digestive tract unchanged and works similarly to soluble fiber.
If you can, cook your rice the day before you want to consume it. Then, store it in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat when you are ready to eat it.
White rice that has been boiled, cooled, and reheated has a GI of 53 (10, 11, 12)
You can also combine rice with foods like vinegar or oil, which can lower the GI. Furthermore, you can try other varieties of rice with lower GIs, such as (13):
- basmati
- red
- black
- wild
May reduce heart disease risk
Studies suggest that eating brown rice helps reduce several risk factors for heart disease (14).
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An analysis of 45 studies found that people who ate the most whole grains, including brown rice, had a 16-21% lower risk of heart disease than people who ate the fewest whole grains (15).
Whole grains like brown rice may also lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Brown rice has even been linked to an increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol. But these findings aren’t consistent across all populations (16, 17, 18, 19).
Rich in antioxidants
The bran of brown rice contains many powerful antioxidants, which can help neutralize harmful free radical compounds and reduce inflammation in the body (20).
Studies show that due to their antioxidant levels, whole grains like brown rice may help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes (21).
Aids weight control
Eating brown rice instead of white may also significantly reduce weight, body mass index (BMI), and circumference of the waist and hips (22).
In one study including 29,683 adults and 15,280 children, researchers found that the more whole grains people ate, the lower their body weight (23).
Additionally, a randomized controlled trial in 40 women with overweight and obesity found that brown rice reduced body weight and waist size, compared with white rice (24).
Summary
Brown rice contains more nutrients than white rice, and it may also be more favorable for blood sugar levels, heart disease risk, and weight control.
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