White grain vs Brown Rice  : Nutrition Facts Comparison

Whole grain consumption is an advisable way towards good health. Though whole grain is rich in health substances like fiber, minerals, vitamins, plant phenols, phytoestrogens and other bioactive phytochemicals, very few people are ready to consume such food items. This can be easily understood in terms of the popularity and demand for processed foods in the market.

Polished grains refers to the grains which has been milled to remove the husk, bran, germ, and varying amounts of the nutrients contained in them, leaving a starch-rich grain.Moreover, all the nutrients in the whole grain are removed by milling, sparing a core comprised mostly of carbohydrates. Milling actually means ”whitening” that removes the outer bran layer of the rice grain and it affects the nutritional quality of the rice.  The more polished the grain, the greater the loss as the removed bran layer enjoys vital nutrients which are essential for good health.

In reality, fiber less grain is very harmful to health. Meanwhile, Indian National Cancer Institute recommends 25 grams of fiber a day; a cup of brown rice adds nearly 3.5 g, where as an equal amount of white rice not even 1 g.

In addition, different components of the oils present in rice bran have been proved to be capable of decreasing the risk of heart diseases. (Reference: Ayush-Yoga and Naturopathy)