Healthy Lifestyle Rice plays a pivotal role for the food security of over half the world population especially in Asia. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize, according to data of FAOSTAT 2012. There are two types of rice, the Brown and White rice. Both have similar quantities of carbohydrates and calories. It is the processing and nutritional content that make the distinction between the two rice. Brown Rice Brown rice is being produced when only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed. The side hulls and brans provide “natural wholeness” to the grain and are rich in proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium. However, when the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are being removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm, white rice is produced, in which most people eat because it is easier to cook. During the removal (of the bran layer and the germ) and subsequent polishing process, several vitamins and deitary minerals are lost. It destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Vitamins like B1, B3, and iron are added back into the white rice making it “enriched”, but it still doesn’t reach the minimum nutritional requirements for one serving of food as required by Food and Drug Administration. Brown rice is a whole grain. It has a mild, nutty flavor, and is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the bran and germ—which are removed to make white rice—contain fats that can spoil. It is the healthiest type of grain you can eat. Brown rice has a greater food value than white, since the outer brown coatings contain the proteins and minerals, the white endosperm is chiefly carbohydrate. A diet rich in whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer. Whole-grain diets also improve bowel health by helping to maintain regular bowel movements and promote growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.Guide to healthy kichen Other types of whole grains include: Whole oatmeal Whole grain corn Popcorn Brown rice Whole rye Whole-grain barley Wild rice Buckwheat Triticale Bulgur (cracked wheat) Millet Quinoa Sorghum 100% whole wheat flour White Rice On the other hand, white rice is a refined grain. The bran and the germ have been stripped from it during the milling process. This prolongs the shelf life of the rice and gives it a finer, less gritty texture. However, without the bran and the germ, white rice does lose some of the nutritional value that brown rice retains. Other types of refined grains include: White bread White flour Degermed Cornflower Basic Nutritional Value One cup of White Rice vs One cup of Brown Rice. White Rice contains 242 calories, 4.4 grams of protein, 53.2 grams of carbohydrate and 0.4 gram of fat. Brown Rice contains 218 calories, 4.5 grams of protein, 45.8 grams of carbohydrate and 1.6 grams of fat.
