The Whole Truth About Brown Rice

The Whole Truth About Brown Rice

Brown rice, good. White rice, bad. You’ve probably heard it over and over. But what’s the story behind this common eating truism—and is it re ally true? The answer is decidedly yes—so much so, that you should go to great lengths to make the switch, starting today!

If you harvest a grain of raw rice and remove the bran covering, then polish and refine it, you get white rice. Brown rice, then, is basically just a “virgin” rice seed, unrefined from its natural state. So if white rice originates from brown rice, why is there such a stark health difference between the two?

It’s because that bran covering is absolutely loaded with nutrients and fiber. When you remove it, the rice grain transforms from a complex, nutrition-rich carbohydrate to a simple, refined carbohydrate—one that digests quickly, causing rapid and substantial blood-sugar spikes. The refining process also strips away important nutrients in the grain covering, such as B vitamins, iron, and phosphorus. It also removes most of the magnesium, which happens to be the most common mineral deficiency in people with type 2 diabetes.

Keeping the bran on the rice kernel changes the health equation in several other ways.  Not only does brown rice have a much lower glycemic index, it also has been proven to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels when eaten a few times a week, thanks to its abundant fiber and nutrient content.

A recent ground-breaking study from Harvard University found that Americans who eat two or more servings of brown rice a week (a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked rice) reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by about 10 percent. The same study showed, conversely, that people who eat white rice five or more times a week are almost 20 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who eat it less than once a month!

And it’s not just your blood sugar that will improve. Studies show that people—and particularly women—who eat whole grains (like brown rice) instead of refined grains (like white rice) actually weigh less, even though the foods calorie levels are the same. So replace brown rice with white rice and not only will you lose weight, you’ll keep it off!

These are compelling statistics. So what stops people from eating brown rice? Truth is, white and brown rice have different textures and flavors. Brown rice is chewier and has a detectably grainy taste, whereas white rice is more fluffy and flavorless; it mostly takes on the taste of whatever you pour over it.

But the difference is subtle enough that if you choose brown rice three or four times in a row, you’ll stop wanting to switch back. You will have acquired a new eating habit that could have a huge positive impact on your diabetes and overall health. You can buy a large bag of brown rice that makes about 12 servings for around $3. It doesn’t get much more affordable than that!