What is the difference between brown & white rice?

Rice is one of the most important foods in the world, supplying as much as half of the daily energy for half of the world's population daily. It is an ancient food and dating back about 9,000 years. Rice is actually a type of grass and belongs to a family of plants that includes other cereals such as wheat and corn and its production is second in the world after maize. The majority of the world's rice is grown in Asia, where it plays an incredibly important role in their food culture.

What is the difference between brown & white rice?

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of energy, carbohydrates, and protein. The main differences between brown and white rice lie in processing and nutritional content. A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce brown rice. Thus, Brown rice is a wholegrain product because only the inedible outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed. Brown rice still retains its nutrient-rich bran and germ. Brown rice contains vitamin B3, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, iron, and all of the dietary fibre and essential fatty acids.

To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are also removed and the grain is polished resulting in a grain with a white, shiny appearance that we are used to seeing.  All this further processing removes the bran and germ along and destroys a % the key nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fibre and small amount of fat) that reside within these important layers.

Rice is processed like this largely to prevent spoilage and to extend the storage life of the grain. White rice stored in an air tight container will keep fresh for about a year, when stored in a cool dry place. White rice is simply a refined starch that has lost a large majority of its original nutrients. To restore the nutritional quality of white rice, it is often fortified with B₁, B₃, and iron to add back a few of nutrients that was lost during processing.

Since brown rice still contains the oil-rich germ, it is more susceptible to spoilage than white rice and therefore should be stored in the refrigerator. Stored in an airtight container, brown rice will keep fresh for about six months.

As a whole grain food, brown rice should be included as part of a healthy way of eating. In fact nutrition experts recommend that you aim to have at least 3 servings of whole grain foods daily as this can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

For all the health benefits brown rice can provide, don't forget to make this delicious, nutty-flavored grain a frequent addition to your meals.