Rice is one of the most consumed foods on the planet is not new for either and neither is supporting the foundation of food than half of the world population.
Although each day more people opting to introduce brown rice in your diet, the traditional cereal in our kitchen par excellence has always been white rice. But white or brown where really is the difference?
When speaking, in general, whole foods, most people relate instantly with a concept: lose weight. Although it is true that whole foods generally are typically included in low calorie diets or weight loss, the reality is that the important differences between whites and whole foods do not lie in calories each containing, as erroneously thought.
So … where is the difference?
To begin with, the difference with the naked eye between white rice and brown is that the whole is not subject to any kind of refinement or chemical process. Hence, they have a darker appearance because it retains the bran layer of the original grain, why rice is somewhat harder and it takes a little longer to cook.
Something similar to what happened when we talked on the whole grain of popcorn and benefits it offered us full eat, i.e. including shell.
You maybe interested to read another article on LIfeStyleQA: The Best Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep
Like when we talked about the choice between white or whole wheat bread, the caloric difference between rice is almost negligible, and even somewhat higher in the case of brown rice: 365kcal / 100g white, against 370kcal / 100g integral.
The notable differences between the two lie in other nutritional values:
- Supply of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants: Brown rice has a supply of minerals much greater than in the case of white, especially selenium and magnesium, an essential mineral in the creation of the fatty acids. It also has a good supply of vitamin B which favors the processes of digestion, without forgetting that is a source of antioxidants and a food that contains 12 essential amino acids for the body.
- Fiber contribution: We could say that is the key difference between the two: 1.3 / 100g in case of white vs. 3.5 / 100g in the integral. The role of fiber is essential when promote intestinal and metabolic function, and this is why it is included in most weight loss diets, regardless of its caloric value, and yes for providing a prolonged satiety.
- Glycemic Index: Brown rice is assimilated of slower than traditional white rice mode, due to lower glycemic index maintains blood sugar levels and insulin.
The latter feature, which we talked recently in one of our post on glycemic index, it is vitally important, especially for people athletes and those having diabetes problems.
Differences that brings science
We’ve talked about the most significant nutritional differences between white rice and brown but besides this also gives us science studies on the subject:
You maybe interested to read another article on LIfeStyleQA: Benefits of Fiber Nutrition
According to a research from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has found that taking five or more servings of white rice weekly, carries an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and in contradistinction to this revelation, has been demonstrated through research, that taking two or more servings of brown rice weekly, is associated with a lower risk of developing the disease.
The study also explains that if we replaced just 50g white rice our plate, which is not even half a serving, for the same amount of brown rice, the risk of type 2 diabetes would be reduced by 16%.
You see, the real differences between them lie not in calories, but in other nutritional values and contributions; and studies indicate, also affects directly on our health and disease prevention.
After that I think we all had brown rice, do not you think?
Leave a Reply