Nutritionally, brown rice and white rice have almost the same amount of carbohydrates, hence, the same amount of calories. But to a large extent, the nutritional benefits of brown rice outweigh the nutritional benefits of consuming white rice.
Many years ago, a study that led to the discovery of vitamin B1 (thiamine) involved the use of brown rice and white rice. Participants of the study who were fed a white rice diet became vitamin B1 deficient while those who were fed a brown rice diet remained healthy. This is because most of the vitamin is in the bran of the rice grain which is absent from the white rice, that’s how come those who consumed the white rice diet in the study became thiamine deficient. This led to the discovery of the vitamin and the conclusion that people who consume diet deficient in thiamine with white rice stand a greater risk of beriberi. After several other scientific studies, a lot more has been discovered concerning brown rice.
In a 2012 Consumer Report in the US, almost all the sixty varieties of brown rice used in the experiment were found to contain high levels of inorganic arsenic (a metal which causes cancer in humans). The level of inorganic arsenic found in a subsequent study identified an even higher amount than what was reported earlier. White rice, on the other hand, contained about 80% less inorganic arsenic than what was found in brown rice because the inorganic arsenic accumulates in the outer layers of the rice grain.
In spite of this, brown rice has some other advantages. One of such advantage is due to the fibre it contains. The presence of fibre in brown rice allows it to reduce your risk for colon cancer as the fibre assists in the removal of carcinogens which might cause cancer to your colon. Also, the presence of the fibre makes brown rice a whole grain. Whole grains are known to reduce the risk for high blood cholesterol and heart diseases.
Brown rice is rich in minerals such as selenium; which is responsible for reducing risk for developing heart diseases, arthritis and even cancer, manganese; which plays a vital role in the nervous and reproductive systems as well as the synthesis of fats in the body.
Brown rice also has a low glycaemic index; hence, it releases sugar slowly into the bloodstream unlike other foods with higher glycaemic indices. The low glycaemic index of brown rice makes it an excellent source of carbohydrates for diabetics. Some studies have shown that people who consume a half cup of brown rice a day reduce their chances of becoming diabetics by 60% while those who consume white rice frequently increase their chances of becoming diabetics by a hundred fold.