We somehow instantly think of white whenever we hear about unhealthy and refined foods.
In most cases, white, unhealthy foods, have a healthier, brown option, such as white flour and whole flour , white sugar and brown sugar, etc. yet, this is not the case with all foods, as rice is one of the exceptions.
Probably most of you believe that white rice is harmful to your health. This is mostly due to the fact that they believe that it will spike the blood sugar after consumption.
This is probably linked to the effects of other white carbohydrate foods, like white bread, which have a high glycemic index.
Yet, in the case of rice, the properties to increase the blood sugar levels are not revealed by its color, but by its type instead. For instance, no matter if it is white or brown, basmati rice has an incredibly low glycemic index.
The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition published a study which discovered that brown basmati rice actually elevated the levels of blood glucose more than white basmati rice.
Researchers gave 11 different types of rice to their 14 healthy participants, including white basmati rice and brown basmati rice.
They measured their blood glucose levels to determine which type of rice fell into the low glycemic index category (do not elevate blood sugar) or the medium-high glycemic index category (raise blood sugar).
Yet, at the end of their study, they found that white basmati rice belonged in the low glycemic index category, while brown basmati rice belonged in the medium-high glycemic index category. Therefore, the color of rice does not show its ability to elevate the levels of blood sugar.
However, even though brown rice is not bad for the health, you should prefer white rice after all. First of all, brown rice has more phytates than white rice.
Phytates, or phytic acid, is often known as an “anti-nutrient” , since it prevents the absorption of some health-beneficial minerals, like calcium, zinc, iron.
This does not seriously threaten your life, but it has also been found that the consumption of high-phytate foods throughout the day may cause a mineral deficiency, as well as numerous symptoms which accompany it.
Therefore, even though numerous people claim that the brown variant is much healthier than white rice, the reality is that it prevents the absorption of numerous needed nutrients in the body.
Hence, it is best to always investigate things by yourself as well. Foods can have advantages and disadvantages, so make sure you consider all facts before you make your choice.