The reasons white rice is healthier than brown rice as determined by research as well as which type traditional societies preferred consuming.
My article and video on healthy Chinese food drew some comments from readers who questioned my choice of rice.
Why was I using white rice vs brown? Isn’t brown rice the healthier choice, after all?
Ok, I’ll spill the beans, rice.  Here are my reasons …
The truth is, neither my husband nor myself have ever enjoyed brown rice (although we love the nutty flavor and digestibility of wild rice).
Every time we eat brown, it just seems to not sit very well in our stomachs.
Even when it is sprouted or soaked before cooking, it, well, uh, sits like a brick for lack of a better word.
Why Some People Should Eat White Rice
White rice just seems to digest a whole lot better for us. That to me was reason enough to choose it over the brown rice.
We were also advised by an Ayurvedic MD back in the 1990s to stick with white basmati rice. This recommendation clinched the decision.
You are what you digest, after all – not necessarily what you eat!
End of story? Well, not quite.
Rice Fiber in Brown Harms a Compromised Gut
A few years back at the annual Wise Traditions Conference, I became familiar with a compelling book called Fiber Menace.
The author writes extensively about the dangers of a high-fiber diet as it pertains to a menu loaded with whole grains as pushed by the misguided Food Pyramid.
In other words, folks who eat a bowl of All Bran every morning to keep the bathroom visits regular are unknowingly ripping their insides to shreds.
The basic premise of Fiber Menace is that grain fiber plays a leading role in many gut-related ailments including colon cancer.
When I first learned of this information, my preference for white rice over brown rice started to make more sense.
Perhaps the brown rice didn’t digest that well because of all that fiber?
Chalk one up for the white rice.
White Rice Far Lower in Phytic Acid
A second piece of information came from author Ramiel Nagel.
In his book, Cure Tooth Decay, he writes about the devastating effects of phytic acid in the diet. Phytic acid is a very powerful antinutrient and blocker of mineral absorption in the gut.
Mr. Nagel identifies brown rice as very high in phytic acid.
What’s more, soaking brown rice does not reduce phytic acid by much at all!
Polished Rice is the Ancestral Form
Ramiel also maintains that the traditional method for preparing brown rice is never to eat it whole (with only the husk removed).
Rather, ancestral societies pounded brown rice in a mortar and pestle to polish it by removing the outer bran layer. This is the primary source of the phytic acid.
Nagel goes on to point out that experiments have shown that the milled and polished rice that results from this pounding process, has the highest mineral absorption.
In short, mineral absorption from whole brown rice is much less than white polished rice. This is because the phytic acid in the bran which is not reduced much by soaking, greatly interferes with the absorption process.
What About Arsenic?
A big issue with arsenic contamination in rice has emerged in recent years. Some folks have responded by no longer eating rice at all.
This is an overreaction, in my view.
Clean rice is definitely available if you know what to look for.
This article on how to avoid arsenic in rice details what to do. While soaking brown rice barely moves the needle on phytic acid, soaking white rice before cooking removes nearly all the arsenic!
Another option is to parboil white rice before using fresh water for a full cook if you don’t have time to soak.
Is White Rice Better Than Brown?
So it seems that brown rice is not necessarily a healthier choice than milled white rice. Â Â
Black or red rice would fall into the same category.
Obviously, whether you choose one or the other is a personal preference, but I hope this information helps you sort through the decision with a bit more clarity.
As for me and my family, we will be sticking with white basmati and jasmine rice (white basmati rice is more nutritious than plain white rice). Â
I currently buy this brand of rice in 25-pound bags as the most economical and high-quality choice.
Observation clued me in many years ago that brown rice was not something that was sitting well in my stomach or my husband’s.
As the years go by, more research is coming forth to indicate that this decision was the right way to go after all.
Do you eat white rice or brown rice in your home? Why or why not?
References
(1) Fiber Menace
(2) Living with Phytic Acid
More Information
Macrobiotic Diet and Extreme Vitamin D Deficiency
Tiny Teff Grains Deliver Big on Nutrition
How to Make Perfect Yellow Rice (Arroz Amarillo)
Millet: Healthy or Not?
Do Whole Grains Cause Cavities?
Hi Nancy, not sure about wild rice. Soaking would be necessary for sure, I would think as wild rice is rather fibrous in my experience.
PS I have another weird thing where I like eating brown rice with a vegetarian meal, but can’t stand eating it with any meal containing fish or meat — it just doesn’t “feel” right.
Very interesting post! I live in Japan, and used the sprouted brown rice for awhile, but it is very expensive. Then I found out that “partially milled” rice is also popular here. You can get rice with 30%, 50% or 70% of the bran removed. You can also get rice with all of the bran removed, but the germ intact. This would seem like the healthiest choice, as you get all the nutrients in the germ without the phytates in the bran. However, I worry about the question of rancidity — wouldn’t the germ go rancid very quickly without the protection of the bran layer?
We eat rice every day, often 2-3 times a day, so it is an important food. At the moment we are using the 70% milled rice, which I soak overnight in plain water. I do worry about that 30% of the grain containing phytates, though. After reading your post, I am thinking that we might be better off with plain old white rice! Which means that my Japanese husband and father-in-law were right — sigh!
At the same time, Japanese people do not have the greatest teeth — lots of ppl have terrible crowding. So there is definitely something wrong with the diet. It may be the white rice, or maybe the soy …? Or modern deficiencies due to too much sugar, etc.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the partially milled rice.
This is interesting and very good news for me, my husband is Vietnamese so making jasmine rice is an everyday thing for us. I also love basmati when making anything mexican but, too always tried to use brown.
We eat more of white basmati rice now, especially after my older 4 yeal old daughter suffered from numerous cavities. Yes, the mainstream health view is to actually eat more brown rice, and that what we were doing, as well as my friends. But after reading Rami's book, we avoid lots of whole grains now. I used to bake a lot with whole grains (soak the flours) but I guess this was not enough. My daughter's teeth are much better now that whole grains are limited.
Hi Celeste, I was told by my Ayurvedic MD some years ago that long grain white basmati was more nutritious than short white rice.
We've used brown rice for years, long before I knew anything about phytates and grains. I remember being pleased to read in Nourishing Traditions that brown rice was very low in phytates, so didn't think much about it. Now with Rami's articles etc I'm rethinking the rice issue. Thanks for the helpful perspective!
Just wondering, what is it about long-grain rice that makes it more nutritious than short-grain? Especially if both are "white"? Is there anything else to look for in choosing rice? I was at my local Indian foods store and was amazed at the types and preparations of rice available. Maybe it's just a brand thing. Any tips appreciated.
I have been wondering for a long time now which is worse: white or whole grains. I still wonder, but appreciate this latest addition to the issue. I find few are talking about it.
I thought that "polished" rice was introduced in the late 1800s by Europeans to Asian countries, and resulted in an epidemic of beriberi from vitamin B deficiency. Isn't the whole reason we discovered vitamins was that we started refining grains and realized diseases resulted from the missing nutrients? Perhaps it was from overreliance on grains, but this is still a very confusing issue …
I thought this was old knowledge, as I learned it in Jr. High. I have been scanning the posts here for some information relating to this issue also, and am disappointed that, having found my question asked by someone else two years ago, no answer has been given by the educated people otherwise frequently posting here. I hope this reply sparks renewed interest in this question and results in an answer.
Sara, can you please answer this question? It needs a response. Thank you!
It is my opinion that you do not need to soak white rice as the antinutrients are in the bran portion which has been removed. Those that choose to eat brown rice should definitely soak it.
In the 70’s we had friends who were from Iran. The wife would cook Persian food for us sometimes. She soaked her rice and always used white (but never white bread as that was “for sick people”). Her rice was always *perfect* with ever grain separate and fluffy. I don’t know exactly what she did to it but it was good! I’ve never soaked my rice and we’ve been using brown rice for years as I’m very carb sensative and turn it to sugar very quickly. Not diabetic and I don’t want to be one, either. I don’t eat just brown rice, though – I put half brown rice and half barley so it’s not so *heavy*. I read a study a couple of years ago that said that barley has a unique fiber that is uniquely good for humans. Does anyone know if this is true? Does pearled barley also need to be pre-soaked?
Hello Lynne
I am not sure if you will get this information now, but we use white basmati rice all the time ( We are from India). The trick to get each grain fluffy and separated is you soak the basmati rice for 20 mins and the ratio of rice to water ( 1: 1 1/2).
So, for 1 cup rice, heat the oil and put any spices you wish to( we usually use 1 stick of cinnamon, 2-3 green cardamom, 1 clove and a bay leaf) and then put 1 1/2 (one and a half) cup of water. When the water boils, put salt and the soaked rice(drained completely). Let it come to boil and leave it on medium flame until you see most of the water evaporated, meaning, when you can see the layer of rice rather than water. Cover it and simmer it for 12 mins. Turn it off and leave it without opening. Befroe serving, mix it lightly and you will get fluffy and separated rice. HTH.
Thanks for these instructions! I will follow them tonight! I hate brown rice and have felt guilty about using white, although it didn’t make sense that most Asian cultures use white and they aren’t dropping over from it. Now I know how to cook it! Thanks again.
So, to clarify, should we soak white rice? Or just brown rice? My husband's Indonesian, so we eat tons of white rice at home and I'd like to know if we should soak it?