White rice is missing more than fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Phytonutrients such as gamma oryzanol in brown rice may help explain the clinical benefits, and naturally pigmented rice varieties may be even healthier.
Brown, Black, Purple, and Red Unlike White on Rice
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Why does switching from white rice to brown rice enable overweight individuals to significantly reduce their weight, their waist size, their blood pressure, and the level of inflammation within their bodies?
We think it might be the fiber. Brown rice has four times as much dietary fiber as white, including prebiotic types that foster the growth of our good bacteria, which may help account for the anti-obesity effects of brown rice.
Besides the prebiotic fiber, there’s all sorts of vitamins and minerals that are lost when brown rice is milled into white, along with phytonutrients, such as gamma oryzanol, which may theoretically help shift one’s preferences to healthier foods. There are also petri dish studies that suggest gamma oryzanol may help lower cholesterol, and along with other compounds found in the rice bran, which is what makes brown rice brown, may inhibit human cancer cell growth through antioxidant means, anti-proliferative and pro cancer cell suicide mechanisms, immune system modulation, and increasing barrier protection, but again this is all just in test tubes, not people.
There are two human studies, though. The Adventist Health Study found that brown rice was one of four foods associated with significantly decreased risk of colorectal polyps, which can turn into colorectal cancer. Eating cooked green vegetables every day was associated with 24% lower risk, as much as dried fruit just three times a week. Eating beans, chickpeas, split peas, or lentils at least three times a week was associated with 33% lower risk, but brown rice seem to garner 40% lower risk, and that was just a single serving a week or more.
The other study reported increased muscle strength after supplementation with the brown rice compound, in hopes that it could provide a side effect free alternative to anabolic steroids, but the dose they were giving is equivalent to like 17 cups of brown rice a day; so, it’s not clear if it works at practical doses.
Naturally pigmented rice, such as black rice and red rice, may be even more nutritious. During the last decade, it has been shown that these natural anthocyanin plant pigments may have a variety of beneficial effects. They’re what make blueberries blue and red cabbage red. Recent recognition of the fact that diets rich in plant foods lower the risks of cancer promotes enthusiasm for isolating these components as pharmaceutical agents, but why not just eat the blueberries, or add some red cabbage to your stir fry, atop some colorful rice?
Black, purple, and red rice and their pigment compounds have been found in a variety of antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-heart disease, anti-diabetes, and anti-allergy activities, but these are all studies done in a lab; we don’t yet have clinical studies, but they have everything that brown rice has, plus five times more antioxidants and all these extra goodies; so, that’s why I cook red, black, or purple, or rather my rice cooker does, always with a handful of lentils or split peas thrown in for good measure.
But why don’t most people even choose brown over white? Well, brown doesn’t last as long on the shelves; so, can actually be more expensive, even though it’s less processed, whereas white rice is like apocalypse food, even putting Twinkies to shame, still edible after 30 years, though, by then, may have a slight playdough odor.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Q Sun, D Spiegelman, R M van Dam, M D Holmes, V S Malik, W C Willett, F B Hu. White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jun 14;170(11):961-9.
- C Kozuka, K Yabiju, C Takayama, M Matsushita, M Shimabukuro. Natural food science based novel approach toward prevention and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes: recent studies on brown rice and γ-oryzanol. Obes Res Clin Pract. 2013 May-Jun;7(3):e165-72.
- K Makynen, C Chitchumroonchokachai, S Adisakwattana, M Failla, T Ariyapitipun. Effect of gamma-oryzanol on the bioaccessibility and synthesis of cholesterol. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2012 Jan;16(1):49-56.
- Y M Tantamango, S F Knutsen, W L Beeson, G Fraser, J Sabate. Foods and food groups associated with the incidence of colorectal polyps: the Adventist Health Study. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(4):565-72.
- M Kazemzadeh, S M Safavi, S Nemotollahi, Z Nourieh. Effect of Brown Rice Consumption on Inflammatory Marker and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Overweight and Obese Non-menopausal Female Adults. Int J Prev Med. 2014 Apr;5(4):478-88.
- K Pintha, S Yodkeeree, P Pitchakam, P Limtrakul. Anti-invasive activity against cancer cells of phytochemicals in red jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L.). Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(11):4601-7.
- A J Henderson, C A Olila, A Kumar, E C Borresen, K Raina, R Agarwal, E P Tyan. Chemopreventive properties of dietary rice bran: current status and future prospects. Adv Nutr. 2012 Sep 1;3(5):643-53. Adv Nutr. 2012 Sep 1;3(5):643-53.
- S Eslami, N M Esa, S M Marandi, G Ghasemi, S Eslami. Effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation on anthropometric measurements & muscular strength in healthy males following chronic resistance training. Indian J Med Res. 2014 Jun;139(6):857-63.
- P N Chen, W H Kuo, C L Chiang, H L Chiou, Y S Hsieh, S C Chu. Black rice anthocyanins inhibit cancer cells invasion via repressions of MMPs and u-PA expression. Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Nov 7;163(3):218-29.
- C Hui, Y Bin, Y Xiaoping, Y Long, C Chunye, M Mantian, L Wenhua. Anticancer activities of an anthocyanin-rich extract from black rice against breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(8):1128-36.
- G F Deng, X R Xu, Y Zhang, D Li, R Y Gan, H B Li. Phenolic compounds and bioactivities of pigmented rice. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(3):296-306.
- M A Lloyd, L M Coons, E E Engstrom, S Pang, H F Pahulu, L V Ogden, O A Pike. Sensory and nutritional quality of white rice after residential storage for up to 30 years. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014 May;65(3):320-6.
- G Pereira-Caro, G Cros, T Yokota, A Crozier. Phytochemical profiles of black, red, brown, and white rice from the Camargue region of France. J Agric Food Chem. 2013 Aug 21;61(33):7976-86.
Images thanks to ronamae via Flickr.
Why does switching from white rice to brown rice enable overweight individuals to significantly reduce their weight, their waist size, their blood pressure, and the level of inflammation within their bodies?
We think it might be the fiber. Brown rice has four times as much dietary fiber as white, including prebiotic types that foster the growth of our good bacteria, which may help account for the anti-obesity effects of brown rice.
Besides the prebiotic fiber, there’s all sorts of vitamins and minerals that are lost when brown rice is milled into white, along with phytonutrients, such as gamma oryzanol, which may theoretically help shift one’s preferences to healthier foods. There are also petri dish studies that suggest gamma oryzanol may help lower cholesterol, and along with other compounds found in the rice bran, which is what makes brown rice brown, may inhibit human cancer cell growth through antioxidant means, anti-proliferative and pro cancer cell suicide mechanisms, immune system modulation, and increasing barrier protection, but again this is all just in test tubes, not people.
There are two human studies, though. The Adventist Health Study found that brown rice was one of four foods associated with significantly decreased risk of colorectal polyps, which can turn into colorectal cancer. Eating cooked green vegetables every day was associated with 24% lower risk, as much as dried fruit just three times a week. Eating beans, chickpeas, split peas, or lentils at least three times a week was associated with 33% lower risk, but brown rice seem to garner 40% lower risk, and that was just a single serving a week or more.
The other study reported increased muscle strength after supplementation with the brown rice compound, in hopes that it could provide a side effect free alternative to anabolic steroids, but the dose they were giving is equivalent to like 17 cups of brown rice a day; so, it’s not clear if it works at practical doses.
Naturally pigmented rice, such as black rice and red rice, may be even more nutritious. During the last decade, it has been shown that these natural anthocyanin plant pigments may have a variety of beneficial effects. They’re what make blueberries blue and red cabbage red. Recent recognition of the fact that diets rich in plant foods lower the risks of cancer promotes enthusiasm for isolating these components as pharmaceutical agents, but why not just eat the blueberries, or add some red cabbage to your stir fry, atop some colorful rice?
Black, purple, and red rice and their pigment compounds have been found in a variety of antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-heart disease, anti-diabetes, and anti-allergy activities, but these are all studies done in a lab; we don’t yet have clinical studies, but they have everything that brown rice has, plus five times more antioxidants and all these extra goodies; so, that’s why I cook red, black, or purple, or rather my rice cooker does, always with a handful of lentils or split peas thrown in for good measure.
But why don’t most people even choose brown over white? Well, brown doesn’t last as long on the shelves; so, can actually be more expensive, even though it’s less processed, whereas white rice is like apocalypse food, even putting Twinkies to shame, still edible after 30 years, though, by then, may have a slight playdough odor.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Q Sun, D Spiegelman, R M van Dam, M D Holmes, V S Malik, W C Willett, F B Hu. White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jun 14;170(11):961-9.
- C Kozuka, K Yabiju, C Takayama, M Matsushita, M Shimabukuro. Natural food science based novel approach toward prevention and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes: recent studies on brown rice and γ-oryzanol. Obes Res Clin Pract. 2013 May-Jun;7(3):e165-72.
- K Makynen, C Chitchumroonchokachai, S Adisakwattana, M Failla, T Ariyapitipun. Effect of gamma-oryzanol on the bioaccessibility and synthesis of cholesterol. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2012 Jan;16(1):49-56.
- Y M Tantamango, S F Knutsen, W L Beeson, G Fraser, J Sabate. Foods and food groups associated with the incidence of colorectal polyps: the Adventist Health Study. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(4):565-72.
- M Kazemzadeh, S M Safavi, S Nemotollahi, Z Nourieh. Effect of Brown Rice Consumption on Inflammatory Marker and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Overweight and Obese Non-menopausal Female Adults. Int J Prev Med. 2014 Apr;5(4):478-88.
- K Pintha, S Yodkeeree, P Pitchakam, P Limtrakul. Anti-invasive activity against cancer cells of phytochemicals in red jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L.). Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(11):4601-7.
- A J Henderson, C A Olila, A Kumar, E C Borresen, K Raina, R Agarwal, E P Tyan. Chemopreventive properties of dietary rice bran: current status and future prospects. Adv Nutr. 2012 Sep 1;3(5):643-53. Adv Nutr. 2012 Sep 1;3(5):643-53.
- S Eslami, N M Esa, S M Marandi, G Ghasemi, S Eslami. Effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation on anthropometric measurements & muscular strength in healthy males following chronic resistance training. Indian J Med Res. 2014 Jun;139(6):857-63.
- P N Chen, W H Kuo, C L Chiang, H L Chiou, Y S Hsieh, S C Chu. Black rice anthocyanins inhibit cancer cells invasion via repressions of MMPs and u-PA expression. Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Nov 7;163(3):218-29.
- C Hui, Y Bin, Y Xiaoping, Y Long, C Chunye, M Mantian, L Wenhua. Anticancer activities of an anthocyanin-rich extract from black rice against breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(8):1128-36.
- G F Deng, X R Xu, Y Zhang, D Li, R Y Gan, H B Li. Phenolic compounds and bioactivities of pigmented rice. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(3):296-306.
- M A Lloyd, L M Coons, E E Engstrom, S Pang, H F Pahulu, L V Ogden, O A Pike. Sensory and nutritional quality of white rice after residential storage for up to 30 years. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014 May;65(3):320-6.
- G Pereira-Caro, G Cros, T Yokota, A Crozier. Phytochemical profiles of black, red, brown, and white rice from the Camargue region of France. J Agric Food Chem. 2013 Aug 21;61(33):7976-86.
Images thanks to ronamae via Flickr.
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Title
Brown, Black, Purple, and Red Unlike White on Rice
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Switching from white rice to brown rice enables overweight individuals to significantly reduce their weight, their waist size, their blood pressure, and the level of inflammation within their bodies. I explore the value of brown versus white rice in my video Is It Worth Switching from White Rice to Brown?.
For more on rice, see:
- Alzheimer’s Disease: Grain Brain or Meathead?
- Kempner Rice Diet: Whipping Us Into Shape
- If White Rice Is Linked to Diabetes, What About China?
- Drugs and the Demise of the Rice Diet
- Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Reversed?
- High Blood Pressure May Be a Choice
- Gut Microbiome: Strike It Rich with Whole Grains
Several years ago, I made a video on Arsenic in Rice, which deserved an update so I took a deep dive into the arsenic issue and produced a whole video series:
- Where Does the Arsenic in Chicken Come From?
- Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, and Wine Come From?
- The Effects of Too Much Arsenic in the Diet
- Cancer Risk from Arsenic in Rice and Seaweed
- Which Rice Has Less Arsenic: Black, Brown, Red, White, or Wild?
- Which Brands and Sources of Rice Have the Least Arsenic?
- How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels
- Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereal
- Arsenic in Rice Milk, Rice Krispies, and Brown Rice Syrup
- How Risky Is the Arsenic in Rice?
- How Much Arsenic in Rice Is Too Much?
- Is White Rice a Yellow-Light or Red-Light Food?
- Do the Pros of Brown Rice Outweigh the Cons of Arsenic?
And, for more on the potential wonders of the blue/black/purple anthocyanin pigments, check out these videos:
- Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Purple Potatoes
- Dietary Treatments for Computer Eye Strain
- How to Slow Brain Aging by Two Years
- Anti-Inflammatory Life Is a Bowl of Cherries
- The Antioxidant Effects of Açai vs. Apples
- The Benefits of Açai vs. Blueberries for Artery Function
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