Brown Rice or White Rice…Does it Really Matter? By Chris Tsugranes

The question to choose brown or white rice has been in great debate on a number of different occasions. Although many people do not believe that there are huge differences between the two-grain, it is still a question that is being posed time and time again. It seems that the only way to get to the bottom of this debate is to actually break down the debatable grains themselves in order to understand where each one originates. I know you must be thinking, how much can you dissect such a miniscule item and come up with so many nutritional differences? But once you read on, the results may change your view about how important the type of rice you eat may really be.

With the diminishing belief in the Atkins diet, due to the limited and temporary relief it brings to those who are overweight, many have finally begun to realize that carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet. Those who look further into this epiphany also realize that the types of carbohydrates you eat are also essential. Whole grain foods have become an intricate part in the formation of diet plans for people in all walks of life. From bodybuilders to the average person trying to lose a few pounds whole grain foods not only contain the essential fiber and minerals in which a person needs to remain healthy, but also contains certain types of fats that will help you lose weight.

“Brown rice contains the highest nutritional and mineral value because of the way it preserves all of the cereals proteins and vitamin content during the cooking phase.” (1) In the white rice process, the outer layer, or the husk, is removed resulting in a faster cook time. The other two layers of the grain, the germ layer and the aleuronic layer, contain the essential fatty acids needed in order to burn calories and also protect against heart disease. Although it may seem more convenient for the person constantly on the go to be able to prepare the rice more quickly, the problem that arises is all of the nutritional value one would receive from the grain has been removed. This is the action taken when a company “processes” a type of food. “Grains contain protein, iron, healthy phytochemicals, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and magnesium. A grain actually supports the growth of a full plant - like an egg, it's all encapsulated. So once you start processing the grain, you process a lot of the goodness out." (2)

One other topic that nutritionists debate over, especially in the more concentrated field of athletics and bodybuilding where every nutrient could mean the difference between winning and losing, is the amount of insulin that is produced from white and brown rice. Since brown rice contains all of its elements it will break down slower into the blood stream thus causing it to have less of a shock to the system. By having brown rice break down slower, the risk for the glycemic overload is lessoned, which makes it a better carbohydrate to be used for people trying to lose weight during a daily meal. Since white rice is processed and the outer layers containing the fiber and other nutrients is stripped, white rice will enter the blood stream at a faster rate thus causing more of an insulin increase, or spike, than the brown rice would. This is why many bodybuilders may use white rice in their post workout meal, but use brown rice for other meals throughout the day. Although this may seem black and white as far as the timing of the consumption of each grain, both brown and white rice are very close in numbers on the glycemic index, which cause further debate on how accurate that chart is.

To sum up this long standing debate between these two related, yet very different grains, the real difference is not in the amount of glycogen one will produce but the amount of nutrients the other contains. By taking away the outer layers of brown rice you are taking away the main reason behind eating it. “Research shows that eating whole grains can reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. They can also protect against certain cancers, particularly bowel cancer but also gastric, breast and prostate cancer. (Essential fatty acids) can help with weight control, blood pressure and increase length of life.”(3) Brown rice is the superior choice for more than just a few reasons and should be a part of everyone's daily food intake. With the amount of fast and processed foods flooding the market in order for people to save time during their day, people should begin to take a step back and eat the foods that help them extend their lives and increase their quality of life.

References
1. “The Total Wellbeing Diet”; Dr. Manny Noakes and Dr. peter Clifton; Penguin Publishing
2. “The Total Wellbeing Diet”; Dr. Manny Noakes and Dr. peter Clifton; Penguin Publishing
3. “NESTA Nutrition Manual”; Lucho Crisalle(P42); Cathy McDonald Dietitian of Sanitariums Nutrition Service

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