In this article, we are going to answer the question, “How bad is white rice for you?”, and discuss what white rice is. We will also discuss the different types of rice along with their nutritional profile and the potential health benefits, the standard serving of rice, and the adverse effects of excess consumption of white rice.
How bad is white rice for you?
White rice is not that bad when consumed in limited quantities. The removal of most of the nutrients from white rice leads to decreased nutritional benefits and increased risk of chronic diseases as discussed later in the article.
What is white rice?
White rice is the refined type of rice, which has the layers of bran and germ removed, which consists of most essential nutrients. The bran in rice is a rich source of fibre, and B-complex vitamins, while the germ in rice contains vitamin E, some B vitamins and healthy fats. When the bran and the germ is removed from the rice, all the minerals contained in them are lost. The structure of the rice only contains the portion known as endosperm, which is all starch.WHite rice is therefore high in carbohydrates.
What are the main types of rice?
There are two main types of rice:
- Brown rice – The brown rice is high in fibre and B-complex vitamins as no part of the rice is removed.
- 2. White rice – the bran and the germ is removed (as discussed above)
White rice vs brown rice
Brown rice – ½ a cup of cooked brown rice is the standard serving. 100 grams of cooked brown rice consists of 112 calories, 24 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams of fibre and proteins, with 55% of RDI of manganese, 11% RDI of magnesium, and 14% RDI of Selenium.
White rice – ½ cup of cooked white rice is the standard serving size. 100 grams of cooked white rice consists of 130 calories, 30 grams carbohydrates with no fibre, zero fat, 2 grams of proteins, and only 19% of the reference dietary intake of manganese, 3% RDI of magnesium and 11% of the RDI of Sodium.
A huge difference in the composition of vitamins and minerals can be seen in white and brown rice, and this also shows that white rice is way low in nutritional value.
What are the health benefits of white rice?
Rice is a staple food for more than half of the population of the world, specifically in the continent of Asia, such as China, Japan, Korea, India and Pakistan. The predominant source of carbohydrates in these countries is rice and therefore the consumption is way more compared to other countries.
The only benefits of white rice is that the high concentration of carbohydrates is used as a source of energy. Rice incorporated in the diets of the Chinese elderly along with the intake of vegetables has shown to prevent weight gain, and obesity.
This however may not be true in other parts of the world where rice is used as a staple.
What happens if you consume too much white rice?
White rice consumed in excess will ultimately be late to weight gain. This is true for any food if the portion size is not controlled. Eating food in bigger sized plates and bowls may obviously lead to increased calorie intake as more food is consumed unintentionally.
Excess consumption also leads to spikes in blood glucose levels, because the white rice has a comparatively greater glycemic index.
The excess glucose is turned into fat when the stores of glycogen (Which is a storage form of glucose become full), and these fats are stored by being deposited in the adipose tissues, which are more in the abdomen and thighs.
This leads to pear shaped obesity in women as the adipose tissue is higher in the thighs and hips, and apple shaped obesity in men, because the concentration of adipose tissue is higher in the abdominal region.
Other FAQs about Rice that you may be interested in.
Can you cook wild rice in a rice cooker?
Can you cook white rice and quinoa together in a rice cooker?
Can you cook white and brown rice together?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question,”How bad is white rice for you?”, and discussed what white rice is. We also discussed the different types of rice along with their nutritional profile and the potential health benefits, the standard serving of rice, and the adverse effects of excess consumption of white rice.
