Rice is processed to remove the outer hull, bran, and germ, resulting in white rice that cooks faster and has a longer shelf life. Brown rice is more nutritious but needs to be refrigerated and eaten within six months. The trend towards white rice consumption has led to nutritional deficiencies in some parts of the world, and fortified rice cannot replace the valuable stripped fiber. Whole grains, including brown rice, are recommended for their dietary value and health benefits.
When rice is harvested, it must be processed before being sent to market. In the case of both white and brown rice, the inedible outer hull of the rice is removed so that the grain of the rice is accessible. To make the rice white, the individual grains are further stripped: bran and germ and also removed, and the grains are polished to be white and smooth. Brown rice, however, is left with these outer layers intact and since most of the nutrition is available in these layers, it’s better for the consumer.
There are several reasons to strip rice down to the main grain. The first is that it cooks faster and tends to create fluffy rice. In many parts of the world, this type of rice is preferred because some consumers find it tastes better. Additionally, the nutrient-rich outer layers of rice also have a number of good fats, which can go rancid if the rice is poorly stored or not eaten soon enough. White rice is much more stable than brown and can be stored under more unfavorable conditions. Brown rice should be refrigerated, ideally, and also eaten within six months.
Unfortunately, many people in developing countries rely heavily on rice for nutrition. While these people traditionally ate brown rice, a growing trend toward white rice consumption has led to nutritional deficiencies in some parts of the world. In some areas, rice producers are trying to avoid this problem by nutritionally fortifying their rice with essential vitamins and minerals, which is a welcome step. However, it is impossible to replace the valuable stripped fiber with the bran and germ of the rice grain.
Fiber is an extremely important part of the human diet and serves a number of dietary functions. Fiber-rich foods help maintain intestinal health, prevent cancer, fight obesity, and influence the likelihood of getting heart disease and diabetes. For this reason, most dietary recommendations call for a high consumption of whole grains, including brown rice. Many consumers, however, omit the “whole” from the “grains” and eat a lot of heavily processed and stripped grain products such as white bread and white rice, likely because these flavors appeal to their palates more. Unfortunately, these foods don’t have the same dietary value as whole grains, and their heavy consumption can lead to dietary imbalances.
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