White rice is one of the most popular foods all across the world.
One of many unique varieties of rice, white rice is a highly versatile food that can be served alongside countless other foods, and it works perfectly as a side dish, or as the main event, when whipped up into a savory stir fry.
However, white rice is a variety of rice that is often looked down on, because of its unique characteristics.
Because of the unique way that white rice is made, there are many people that believe it to actually be unhealthy if consumed in massive quantities, or if it is consumed regularly over multiple days.
But what are the actual facts on white rice? Is white rice actually safe to eat every day? What would happen if you were to eat it every day?
If any combination of these questions has been swimming in your mind lately, then you will want to keep reading down below, because today we are going to set out to find all of the answers that you have been looking for.
The Big Question!
You should actually try to avoid eating white rice every day, and this is actually due to a number of reasons.
The key reason is that white rice is highly refined, which means that many of the natural nutrients that you may find on ordinary rice are stripped away, in order to give the rice that beautiful white appearance.
Research has also found that, if you were to consume too much white rice over a long period of time, you may be at a high risk of developing health risks, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or even type 2 diabetes!
However, it is also important to remember that you would have to consume a lot of white rice in order to actually suffer these downsides.
Is Brown Rice Healthier Than White Rice?
For the most part, yes, brown rice is much healthier ot consume than white rice, and this is thanks to the fact that such rice is packed full of natural nutrients that are found in brown rice.
Remember that, before the rice is refined to become white rice it actually starts off as brown rice, and it is packed full of the nutrients that help to make brown rice so beneficial.
Brown rice still contains the husk, the bran, and the germ, of the rice, and these are packed full of things like fiber, magnesium, and plenty of other nutrients that are great for the immune system.
Because brown rice still contains much of the original grain, it is considered to be a whole grain, and whole grains are beneficial thanks to the extra nutrients they contain that help to reduce cholesterol as well as reduce the risk of heart problems like heart disease.
Why don’t we take a deeper look at some of the key differences between white and brown rice?
Fiber Content
One area where brown rice excels over white rice is in terms of fiber content.
Brown rice tends to deliver the consumer around 3 grams more fiber than a similar amount of white rice. This can make it very beneficial to consume.
This is especially the case when you consider that fiber is known to lower cholesterol, control your blood sugar, and help you to feel full.
This is considerably beneficial when you are trying to lose weight and you want to resist the urge to snack!
Magnesium
Magnesium is another nutrient that is found in high concentrations within brown rice when compared to white rice.
In around half a cup of brown rice, you will usually find around 11% magnesium, and magnesium is known for helping your body to repair, and to become stronger and more efficient.
Magnesium can help to improve your body’s blood coagulation, and cell production.
This makes it very beneficial to those with fitness regimens, or even those that are trying to increase their muscle mass.
Manganese
Manganese, similar to fat, is great for helping to provide your body with energy to draw upon across the course of a day.
This is a nutrient that brown rice has an advantage with, as it is packed with it, unlike white rice.
Is White Rice Bad For You?
Though consuming white rice in heavy quantities every single day may be more likely to lead to complications, and though white rice has fewer nutrients than the more natural brown rice, it is not totally bad for you, and there are some unique benefits that the food can offer to you!
Higher Calcium
Unlike brown rice, white rice is actually very high in calcium, which is known to help the body to strengthen its bones, which can help your overall fitness in numerous ways.
As well as this, calcium has also been linked to improved heart function, as it can help to reduce your blood pressure massively.
Higher Iron
White rice is also much highern in iron than brown rice, which is a key component in the body that is used to create hemoglobin, which is a protein found in red blood cells that helps to carry oxygen around the body after it has entered through the lungs.
Iron has also been linked to the natural formation of multiple hormones in the body, which makes it a highly beneficial nutrient for many people.
Folate
Another nutrient that white rice has in high concentrations is folate, which brown rice usually has much less of.
Folate is something of a an unsung hero when it comes to nutrients and this ibe cause of the fact that it is linked to the production of blood cells, and DNA.
This can be partiuclarly important for pregnant mothers, or even those that are planning to become pregnant.
How Often Should You Eat White Rice?
At this point, you may be finding yourself wondering how often is safe to eat white rice. Let’s take a look.
Most experts recommend that you try to limit your consumption of refined white rice to around once or twice per week so that you can gain access to the nutrients that are found in it, without also increasing your risk of developing diabetes and heart complications!
To Wrap Up
White rice is one of the most popualr foods in the whole world, so you’ve likely found yourself quite surprised to learn that, if consumed in high amounts, it can actually be quite dangerous.
If you want to consume rice regularly but without the risks of consuming too much white rice, then we strongly recommend consuming plenty of brown rice, which is richer in vital nutrients and is much healthier to consume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. White rice has a high glycemic index, so it can quickly cause blood sugar levels to spike!
White rice can be inflammatory as it is high-glycemic.
If you have cooked rice and then left it on your kitchen counter at room temperature, then we do not recommend eating it after a few hours, because the rice may have become infested with bacteria!
