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| Brown Rice |
What is Rice?
White rice is created by removing the bran and polishing the grain, then talc or glucose is added to it. Brown rice does not have this layer of bran removed from it. Basmati rice is found in either white or brown rice and is lighter when it is cooked and has a fluffier texture. These three have different delicate scents, come in different colors, making it easier to differentiate between them. Brown rice, unmilled or partly milled rice, is a kind of whole, natural grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, and is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the germ—which is removed to make white rice—contains fats that can spoil.Any rice, including long-grain, short-grain, or sticky rice, may be eaten as brown rice. In much of Asia, brown rice is associated with poverty and wartime shortages, and in the past was rarely eaten except by the sick, the elderly and as a cure for constipation.This traditionally denigrated kind of rice is often now more expensive than common white rice, partly due to its relatively low supply and difficulty of storage and transport.
White rice comparison
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| White rice |
Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. Several vitamins and dietary minerals are lost in this removal and the subsequent polishing process. A part of these missing nutrients, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B3, and iron are sometimes added back into the white rice making it "enriched", as food suppliers in the US are required to do by the Food and Drug Administration.
One mineral not added back into white rice is magnesium; one cup (195 g) of cooked long grain brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium while one cup of white rice contains 19 mg. When the bran layer is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed. Rice bran oil may help lower LDL cholesterol. Among other key sources of nutrition lost are small amounts of fatty acids and fiber.
The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer,
the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its
nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts
brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the
vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the
phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential
fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be
"enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.
Nutrients in
Brown Rice
1.00 cup (195.00 grams)
Brown Rice
1.00 cup (195.00 grams)
Nutrient%Daily Value
manganese88%
selenium27.3%
magnesium20.9%
tryptophan18.7%
Calories (216)12%
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Brown rice
provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or
excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional
information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Brown rice
can be found in the Food Rating System Chart.
A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Brown
rice, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the
Food Rating System Chart.
Health Benefits
[ Why Brown--But Not White--Rice is One of the World's Healthiest Foods ]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,548 kJ (370 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 77.24 g |
| - Sugars | 0.85 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 2.92 g |
| Protein | 7.94 g |
| Water | 10.37 g |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.401 mg (35%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.093 mg (8%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 5.091 mg (34%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 1.493 mg (30%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.509 mg (39%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 20 μg (5%) |
| Calcium | 23 mg (2%) |
| Iron | 1.47 mg (11%) |
| Magnesium | 143 mg (40%) |
| Manganese | 3.743 mg (178%) |
| Phosphorus | 333 mg (48%) |
| Potassium | 223 mg (5%) |
| Sodium | 7 mg (0%) |
| Zinc | 2.02 mg (21%) |
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A
whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull,
is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the
least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the
unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If
brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ
layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many
more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished,
and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing.
Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain--a layer filled
with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once
exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to
oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the
product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is
largely bereft of its original nutrients.
Our food ranking system qualified brown rice as an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium.
The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white
rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the
vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the
iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. By law in
the United States, fully milled and polished white rice must be
"enriched" with vitamins B1, B3, and iron. But the form of these
nutrients when added back into the processed rice is not the same as in
the original unprocessed version, and at least 11 lost nutrients are not
replaced in any form even with rice "enrichment."
Here are some of the ways in which the nutrients supplied by brown rice can make an important difference in your health:
Manganese—Energy Production Plus Antioxidant Protection
Just one cup of brown rice will provide you with 88.0% of the daily value for manganese.
This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates
and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for
a healthy nervous system, and in the production of cholesterol, which
is used by the body to produce sex hormones. Manganese is also a
critical component of a very important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is found inside the body's mitochondria
(the oxygen-based energy factories inside most of our cells) where it
provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced
during energy production.
[ Women Who Eat Whole Grains Weigh Less ]
[ Brown Rice is Rich in Fiber and Selenium ]
For people worried about colon cancer risk, brown rice packs a double punch by being a concentrated source of the fiber
needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend
in contact with colon cells, and being a very good source of selenium, a trace mineral that has been shown to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer.
In addition to supplying 14.0% of the daily value for fiber, a
cup of cooked brown rice provides 27.3% of the DV for selenium, an
important benefit since many Americans do not get enough selenium in
their diets, yet this trace mineral is of fundamental importance to
human health. Selenium is an essential component of several major
metabolic pathways, including thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant
defense systems, and immune function. Accumulated evidence from
prospective studies, intervention trials and studies on animal models of
cancer has suggested a strong inverse correlation between selenium
intake and cancer incidence. Several mechanisms have been suggested to
explain the cancer-preventive activities of selenium. Selenium has been
shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit
the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.
In addition, selenium is incorporated at the active site of many proteins, including glutathione peroxidase, which is particularly important for cancer protection. One of the body's most powerful antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase is used in the liver to detoxify a wide range of potentially harmful molecules. When levels of glutathione peroxidase
are too low, these toxic molecules are not disarmed and wreak havoc on
any cells with which they come in contact, damaging their cellular DNA
and promoting the development of cancer cells.
Not only does selenium play a critical role in cancer prevention as a cofactor of glutathione peroxidase,
selenium also works with vitamin E in numerous other vital antioxidant
systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make
selenium helpful in the prevention not only of cancer, but also of heart
disease, and for decreasing the symptoms of asthma and the pain and
inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.
[ Lower Cholesterol with Whole Brown Rice ]
When Marlene Most and colleagues from Louisiana State University evaluated the effects of rice bran and rice bran oil on cholesterol levels in volunteers with moderately elevated cholesterol levels, they found that rice bran oil lowered their LDL (bad) cholesterol.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was divided into two parts. First, 26 subjects ate a diet including 13-22g of dietary fiber each day for three weeks, after which 13 switched to a diet that added defatted rice bran to double their fiber intake for five weeks. In the second part of the study, a randomized crossover trial, 14 subjects ate a diet with rice bran oil for 10 weeks.
While the diet including only defatted rice bran did not lower cholesterol, the one containing rice bran oil lowered LDL cholesterol by 7%. Since all the diets contained similar fatty acids, the researchers concluded that the reduction in cholesterol seen in those receiving rice bran oil must have been due to other constituents such as the unsaponifiable compounds found in rice bran oil. The scientists suggest that the unsaponifiables present in rice bran oil could become important functional foods for cardiovascular health. But why extract just one beneficial compound from brown rice when you can reap all the cardioprotective benefits supplied by the matrix of nutrients naturally present in this delicious whole food? In addition to unsaponifiables, this whole grain also supplies hefty doses of heart-healthy fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins.
[ Significant Cardiovascular Benefits for Postmenopausal Women ]
A 3-year prospective study of over 200 postmenopausal women with CVD, published in the American Heart Journal, shows that those eating at least 6 servings of whole grains each week experienced both:
- Slowed progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows, and
- Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.
[ Phytonutrients with Health-Promoting Activity Equal to or Even Higher than that of Vegetables and Fruits ]
Despite the fact that for years researchers have been measuring the antioxidant power of a wide array of phytonutrients, they have typically measured only the "free" forms of these substances, which dissolve quickly and are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. They have not looked at the "bound" forms, which are attached to the walls of plant cells and must be released by intestinal bacteria during digestion before they can be absorbed.
Phenolics, powerful antioxidants that work in multiple ways to prevent disease, are one major class of phytonutrients that have been widely studied. Included in this broad category are such compounds as quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, catechins, and many others that appear frequently in the health news.
When Dr. Liu and his colleagues measured the relative amounts of phenolics, and whether they were present in bound or free form, in common fruits and vegetables like apples, red grapes, broccoli and spinach, they found that phenolics in the "free" form averaged 76% of the total number of phenolics in these foods. In whole grains, however, "free" phenolics accounted for less than 1% of the total, while the remaining 99% were in "bound" form.
In his presentation, Dr. Liu explained that because researchers have examined whole grains with the same process used to measure antioxidants in vegetables and fruits—looking for their content of "free" phenolics"—the amount and activity of antioxidants in whole grains has been vastly underestimated.
Despite the differences in fruits', vegetables' and whole grains' content of "free" and "bound" phenolics, the total antioxidant activity in all three types of whole foods is similar, according to Dr. Liu's research. His team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula (micromoles of vitamin C equivalent per gram). Broccoli and spinach measured 80 and 81, respectively; apple and banana measured 98 and 65; and of the whole grains tested, corn measured 181, whole wheat 77, oats 75, and brown rice 56.
Dr. Liu's findings may help explain why studies have shown that populations eating diets high in fiber-rich whole grains consistently have lower risk for colon cancer, yet short-term clinical trials that have focused on fiber alone in lowering colon cancer risk, often to the point of giving subjects isolated fiber supplements, yield inconsistent results. The explanation is most likely that these studies have not taken into account the interactive effects of all the nutrients in whole grains—not just their fiber, but also their many phytonutrients. As far as whole grains are concerned, Dr. Liu believes that the key to their powerful cancer-fighting potential is precisely their wholeness. A grain of whole wheat consists of three parts—its endosperm (starch), bran and germ. When wheat—or any whole grain—is refined, its bran and germ are removed. Although these two parts make up only 15-17% of the grain's weight, they contain 83% of its phenolics. Dr. Liu says his recent findings on the antioxidant content of whole grains reinforce the message that a variety of foods should be eaten good health. "Different plant foods have different phytochemicals,"he said. "These substances go to different organs, tissues and cells, where they perform different functions. What your body needs to ward off disease is this synergistic effect—this teamwork—that is produced by eating a wide variety of plant foods, including whole grains."
[ Lignans Protect against Heart Disease ]
[ Reduce Your Risk of Metabolic Syndrome ]
In our opinion, neither piece of dietary advice is complete, accurate or likely to help us stay slim or healthy. Just as different kinds of fats have different effects in our bodies (e.g., saturated and trans fats are linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease while omega-3 fats decrease cardiovascular disease risk), some carbohydrates, such as whole grains, are healthful while others, such as refined grains and the foods made from them, are not.
The latest research is clearly supporting this vital distinction. Refined grains and the foods made from them (e.g., white breads, cookies, pastries, pasta and rice) are now being linked not only to weight gain but to increased risk of insulin resistance (the precursor of type 2 diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome (a strong predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), while eating more wholegrain foods is being shown to protect against all these ills. Common features of the metabolic syndrome include visceral obesity (the "apple shaped" body), low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.
In one of the most recent studies, which appeared in Diabetes Care, researchers who analyzed data on over 2,800 participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, found that the prevalence of both insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome was significantly lower among those eating the most cereal fiber from whole grains compared to those eating the least.
Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 38% lower among those with the highest intake of fiber from whole grains. Conversely, study subjects whose diets had the highest glycemic index and glycemic load, both of which are typically low in whole foods and high in processed refined foods, were 141% more likely to have the metabolic syndrome compared to those whose diets had the lowest glycemic index and glycemic load. In other words, compared to those whose diets were primarily composed of whole high fiber foods: whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.
The researchers concluded, "Given that both a high cereal fiber content and lower glycemic index are attributes of wholegrain foods, recommendation to increase wholegrain intake may reduce the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome." Our perspective at the World's Healthiest Foods is that a way of eating that relies on the healthiest foods from all the food groups—the whole foods that contain the healthiest fats, carbohydrates and proteins—is the most effective, intelligent, and most enjoyable way to not only lower your risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, but to stay slim, vital and attractive throughout a long and healthy life.
[ Brown Rice and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk ]
The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. (van Dam RM, Hu FB, Diabetes Care).
In this 8-year trial, involving 41,186 particpants of the Black Women's Health Study, research data confirmed inverse associations between magnesium, calcium and major food sources in relation to type 2 diabetes that had already been reported in predominantly white populations.
Risk of type 2 diabetes was 31% lower in black women who frequently ate whole grains compared to those eating the least of these magnesium-rich foods. When the women's dietary intake of magnesium intake was considered by itself, a beneficial, but lesser—19%— reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes was found, indicating that whole grains offer special benefits in promoting healthy blood sugar control. Daily consumption of low-fat dairy foods was also helpful, lowering risk of type 2 diabetes by 13%. Rice pudding—quickly made by simply adding low-fat milk, cinnamon, raisins, a little honey and 1/4 teaspoon of finely grated orange peel to a cup of cooked rice, then cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes—is a delicious way to enjoy both rice and dairy.
[ Tune Down and Bone Up on Brown Rice ]
Magnesium, another nutrient for which brown rice is a good source,
has been shown in studies to be helpful for reducing the severity of
asthma, lowering high blood pressure, reducing the frequency of migraine
headaches, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. How does magnesium
accomplish all this? Magnesium helps regulate nerve and muscle tone by
balancing the action of calcium. In many nerve cells, magnesium serves
as Nature's own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing
into the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium's
entry, magnesium keeps our nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles
they ennervate) relaxed. If our diet provides us with too little
magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and nerve cells can
become overactivated, sending too many messages and causing excessive
contraction. Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to high blood
pressure, muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or the
spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraine headaches, as
well as muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue.
But that's far from all magnesium does for you. Magnesium, as
well as calcium, is necessary for healthy bones. About two-thirds of the
magnesium in the human body is found in our bones. Some helps give
bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface
of the bone where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
Brown rice can help you keep those storage sites replenished and ready
to meet your body's needs. A cup of brown rice will give you 21.0% of
the daily value for magnesium.
In addition to the niacin it supplies, brown rice may also help raise
blood levels of nitric oxide, a small molecule known to improve blood
vessel dilation and to inhibit oxidative (free radical) damage of
cholesterol and the adhesion of white cells to the vascular wall (two
important steps in the development of atherosclerotic plaques). A study
published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that diets high in rice protein can help protect against atherosclerosis by increasing blood levels of nitric oxide.
[ Fiber from Whole Grains and Fruit Protective against Breast Cancer ]
When researchers looked at how much fiber 35,972 participants in the
UK Women's Cohort Study ate, they found a diet rich in fiber from whole
grains, such as brown rice, and fruit offered significant protection
against breast cancer for pre-menopausal women. (Cade JE, Burley VJ, et
al., International Journal of Epidemiology).
Pre-menopausal women eating the most fiber (>30 grams daily)
more than halved their risk of developing breast cancer, enjoying a 52%
lower risk of breast cancer compared to women whose diets supplied the
least fiber (<20 grams/day).
Fiber supplied by whole grains offered the most protection.
Pre-menopausal women eating the most whole grain fiber (at least 13
g/day) had a 41% reduced risk of breast cancer, compared to those with
the lowest whole grain fiber intake (4 g or less per day).
Fiber from fruit was also protective. Pre-menopausal women whose
diets supplied the most fiber from fruit (at least 6 g/day) had a 29%
reduced risk of breast cancer, compared to those with the lowest fruit
fiber intake (2 g or less per day).
Practical Tip: As the following table shows, it's surprisingly
easy to enjoy a healthy way of eating that delivers at least 13 grams of
whole grain fiber and 6 grams of fiber from fruit each day.
[ Meta-analysis Explains Whole Grains' Health Benefits ]
Whole grains are excellent sources of fiber. In this meta-analysis of 7 studies including more than 150,000 persons, those whose diets provided the highest dietary fiber intake had a 29% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with the lowest fiber intake.
But it's not just fiber's ability to serve as a bulking agent that is responsible for its beneficial effects as a component of whole grains. Wheat bran, for example, which constitutes 15% of most whole-grain wheat kernels but is virtually non-existent in refined wheat flour, is rich in minerals, antioxidants, lignans, and other phytonutrients—as well as in fiber.
In addition to the matrix of nutrients in their dietary fibers, the whole-grain arsenal includes a wide variety of additional nutrients and phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Compounds in whole grains that have cholesterol-lowering effects include polyunsaturated fatty acids, oligosaccharides, plant sterols and stanols, and saponins.
Whole grains are also important dietary sources of water-soluble, fat-soluble, and insoluble antioxidants. The long list of cereal antioxidants includes vitamin E, tocotrieonols, selenium, phenolic acids, and phytic acid. These multifunctional antioxidants come in immediate-release to slow-release forms and thus are available throughout the gastrointestinal tract over a long period after being consumed.
The high antioxidant capacity of wheat bran, for example, is 20-fold that of refined wheat flour (endosperm). Although the role of antioxidant supplements in protecting against cardiovascular disease has been questioned, prospective population studies consistently suggest that when consumed in whole foods, antioxidants are associated with significant protection against cardiovascular disease. Because free radical damage to cholesterol appears to contribute significantly to the development of atherosclerosis, the broad range of antioxidant activities from the phytonutrients abundant in whole grains is thought to play a strong role in their cardio-protective effects.
Like soybeans, whole grains are good sources of phytoestrogens, plant compounds that may affect blood cholesterol levels, blood vessel elasticity, bone metabolism, and many other cellular metabolic processes.
Whole grains are rich sources of lignans that are converted by the human gut to enterolactone and enterodiole. In studies of Finnish men, blood levels of enterolactone have been found to have an inverse relation not just to cardiovascular-related death, but to all causes of death, which suggests that the plant lignans in whole grains may play an important role in their protective effects.
Lower insulin levels may also contribute to the protective effects of whole grains. In many persons, the risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity are linked to insulin resistance. Higher intakes of whole grains are associated with increased sensitivity to insulin in population studies and clinical trials. Why? Because whole grains improve insulin sensitivity by lowering the glycemic index of the diet while increasing its content of fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E.
The whole kernel of truth: as part of your healthy way of eating, whole grains can significantly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Enjoy at least 3 servings a day. No idea how to cook whole grains? Just look at the "How to Enjoy" section in our profiles of the whole grains, or for quick, easy, delicious recipes, click on this link to our Recipe Assistant and select brown rice or whichever whole grain you would like to prepare.
References
- "Brown rice". WHFoods. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- "Enriched rice". Edocket.access.gpo.gov. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- Most, Marlene M; T; M; L (2005). "Rice bran oil, not fiber, lowers cholesterol in humans". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 81 (1): 64–8. PMID 15640461. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- Ito, Shoichi and Ishikawa, Yukihiro (2004-02-12). "Marketing of Value-Add Rice Products in Japan: Germinated Brown Rice and Rice Bread". Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- "Storage". Usarice.com. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
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