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Background

Looking at this wikipedia article about rice, I was suprised (I'm quite ignorant) that difference between brown and white rice is process-based. White rice is brown rice without bran, and both of them are chaffless rice.

What seems strange to me is that white rice is so popular, being that wikipedia article about rice shows a Brown vs White rice table and brown rice seems a healthier food, respect to nutrition values.

Question

As white rice is so popular I wonder, and ask you, are there any health benefits to avoid brown rice?

Chris Rogers
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1 Answers1

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The main reasons why brown rice is less popular than white are not likely related to health concerns but to the facts that it is:

  • More expensive, at most places
  • Relatively less available in the stores
  • More rough to eat
  • Less appropriate to make certain meals with it, especially the ones with sugar
  • Less durable: it has much shorter shelf life (brown rice: 6-8 months; white rice: 4-5 years) (EatByDate)

It is like why whole-grain bread is less popular than white.

Brown rice may contain 80% more arsenic than white rice. One 2017 study found an association between rice (and hence arsenic) consumption and increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in some Asian countries.

Some people could be allergic to certain substances in brown rice, but I have found no evidence this would be especially common.

Jan
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  • Supporting references? – Carey Gregory May 07 '18 at 11:57
  • For which claim? I have found no evidence that there would be common allergens in brown rice. – Jan May 07 '18 at 12:01
  • Cool. Where did you find the info about arsenic percentage? –  May 07 '18 at 13:54
  • It's the link in "one 2017 study." – Jan May 07 '18 at 14:36
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    As a raw product brown is not less available. It is stocked less because it has less demand. Diesel fuel is less available but if 1/2 the cars were diesel it would be widely available. No intrinsic reason brown is more at retail other than lack of demand (volume). – paparazzo May 07 '18 at 14:47
  • @paparazzo, yes, all rice is brown first; I meant less available in stores. – Jan May 07 '18 at 15:03
  • Suppose it was about diabetes. I'm sorry –  May 07 '18 at 15:04
  • Isn't it contradictory, being that white rice is firstly brown rice, that the last one is more expensive? –  May 07 '18 at 15:08
  • Yes, it sounds so, but white rice is sold in much bigger quantities, so the entire production and transport, storing and selling process is cheaper. – Jan May 07 '18 at 15:20