Slightly chewy and nutty tasting, brown rice contains more natural nutrients than white rice. White rice may be enriched to add back some of the vitamins and minerals lost during processing, but fortification can’t replace the fiber retained in brown rice. By definition, brown rice is a whole grain, and whole-grain foods are good carbs.
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
Freshly harvested rice has a tough outer hull that must be removed to make the grain edible. The result is whole-grain brown rice. Whole grains consist of three different layers that each have different nutrients. The term “good carb” refers to complex carbs that retain the natural fiber, vitamins and minerals. All whole grains, including brown rice, are good carbs.
To produce white rice, the grain is further processed to remove two more layers: the bran and germ. The bran and germ contain most of the grain’s fiber and about 50 to 80 percent of its minerals. This type of processed food is a “bad carb,” because it lacks fiber and has fewer nutrients.
Carbs and Fiber
White rice has about the same amount of total carbohydrates as brown rice, but there’s a significant difference in fiber content. One cup of cooked brown rice contains 45 grams of total carbohydrates, which is 34 percent of the minimum recommended daily allowance of 130 grams. Brown rice has much more fiber than white rice. You’ll get almost 4 grams of fiber in 1 cup of cooked brown rice, compared to only half a gram in the same portion of white rice. A 1-cup serving of brown rice provides 9 percent of men’s and 14 percent of women’s daily intake of fiber. The fiber makes a significant difference because it moderates the rate at which carbs are absorbed, contributing to more stable blood sugar levels.
The glycemic index is a tool that helps identify good carbs and bad carbs. Foods are assigned a score from zero to 100 that indicates their impact on blood sugar. Good carbs have lower scores because blood sugar does not increase as much, or as quickly, primarily due to the fiber. Brown rice has a score of 50, making it a low glycemic food, according to Harvard Health Publications. White rice has a score of 89. Any score over 70 indicates a high glycemic food that should be avoided to keep blood sugar balanced.
Brown rice naturally contains 10 to 15 percent of the daily intake of iron, zinc, thiamin and niacin. It’s an even better source of magnesium and vitamin B-6. One cup of cooked brown rice has 84 milligrams of magnesium and 0.28 milligrams of vitamin B-6, which is 20 percent of the recommended daily intake for both.
Vitamin B-6 and magnesium both support heart health. Magnesium relaxes muscles in the heart and blood vessels, so it helps maintain your heartbeat and helps lower blood pressure. Vitamin B-6 helps remove excess amounts of the amino acid homocysteine from the blood stream. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbohydrates
- Harvard School of Public Health: Good Carbs Guide the Way
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: Rice, Brown, Long-Grain, Cooked
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: Rice, White Long-Grain, Regular, Cooked
- Harvard School of Public Health: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin B-6