Rice has been the staple diet of humans for thousands of years.
With many varieties and a range of possible uses, rice is a tasty, nutritious, and versatile ingredient.
Today, there are more than 40,000 varieties of rice available.
Out of those rice, many can be prepared and sold as brown rice.
Brown rice is a whole grain from which only the outer husk is removed.
Eating rice in this way is beneficial as the less processed the grain, the more nutrition you get.
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Difference Between Brown Rice And White Rice
Besides their appearance, there are many differences between brown rice and white rice.
Brown rice is rice in its original, intact form. It contains bran, germ, and endosperm. This form of rice is known as whole grain rice.
White rice also comes from the same grain like brown rice.
White rice is brown rice that is milled and polished, a process that removes bran and germ layers.
Brown rice has its name due to its color. Brown rice is also available in the colors black, purple, and red.
After cooking, brown rice has a chewy, nutty texture.
Can Brown Rice Help You Lose Weight?
Adding brown rice to one’s diet may help them to shed more pounds and reduce their body mass index.
Brown rice is an easy, versatile, and healthy filler to add to one’s meal.
It is more nutrient-dense and has a high content of fiber.
This means that a small amount of brown rice will make you feel fuller and will have fewer calories.
Brown rice can help you get rid of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that builds around your vital organs. The more fat you have, the more health risks you may face. Brown rice can help you get rid of visceral fat.
Brown rice contains nutrients that are essential for your body.
Brown rice also contains lignans. Lignans help lower fat concentration and reduce your blood pressure.
Research showed that people who consume brown rice on a daily basis weigh less as they have a lower BMI.
Control is the key to losing weight quickly.
As brown rice is high in fiber content, it keeps you fuller for a longer period, aiding you in losing weight.
Brown rice is a better alternative to include in your diet than white rice since it has fewer calories.
Brown rice has 220 calories, whereas white rice has 245 calories. Although the difference may not seem much, but it will make a difference when adding up your daily calorie count.
Brown rice contains Selenium.
Selenium is known to make the body’s immune system stronger. This is essential when you are losing weight, especially if you are just starting your journey.
However, eating only brown rice with no other supplements may prove to be more harmful than beneficial as brown rice does not contain all the nutrients required for a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Can Brown Rice Increase Belly Fat?
Visceral fat, also known as belly fat, is not only unsightly but is also a host to many diseases and complications.
Brown rice can help reduce belly fat as it produces responses in the body that affect the dietary management of obesity.
However, eating only brown rice will not help you to decrease your belly fat.
It will only change your daily caloric intake, which will support your weight loss efforts.
The key to reducing weight is to determine what to replace in your current diet.
With brown rice, you can substitute foods that are higher in calories and low in nutrition.
Problems With Brown Rice
Apart from having numerous advantages, brown rice may have some disadvantages as well.
Brown rice may not be beneficial for athletes.
As athletes need more protein than a normal person would, switching to brown rice may not be a good option for them.
The protein in brown rice is less bioavailable than the protein that comes from animals. This means that most of the protein available in brown rice goes down the drain.
Brown rice is also known to contain high levels of inorganic arsenic.
Inorganic arsenic is a toxin that can cause liver, lung, kidney, and bladder cancer.
Despite brown rice containing more nutrients than white rice, experimental data does not provide evidence that a diet based on brown rice is better than the one based on white rice.
Brown rice also reduces protein digestibility and nitrogen balance in the body.
However, despite the cons of brown rice, the advantages that brown rice has to offer, are way more beneficial to disregard.
Brown Rice Nutrition Facts
According to USDA FoodData Central, brown rice is rich in manganese, iron, zinc, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Apart from the health benefits listed above, brown rice contains many more impressive benefits that may convince you to include them in your diet.
Brown rice may help in diabetes management.
It has a low glycemic index which helps reduce insulin surges and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
As brown rice is rich in fiber content, it will help regulate your bowel movements and will keep you feeling full.
Brown rice has high antioxidant activity, making it an excellent diet choice for pregnant women.
Antioxidants help in reducing stress, getting rid of toxins, and keeping some health conditions under control.
Brown rice also offers neuroprotective action, which protects the brain from oxidative stress. Brown rice is especially beneficial for people who are at risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Brown rice is also rich in melatonin, which helps you to sleep better if you are having trouble getting a good night’s sleep.
As brown rice is rich in magnesium and calcium, it may prove to be helpful for the upkeep of healthy bones.
The taste of brown rice may be something that may not be liked by your tastebuds, especially if you have a habit of eating white rice.
However, including brown rice in your diet may prove to be very beneficial, as its nutritional superiority makes it a better option than white rice.
