Which is Healthier: White Rice, Brown Rice, Red Rice or Black Rice?

Who doesn’t love to eat rice? Rice is a staple ingredient in most kitchens and of course, most meals are incomplete without them. However, did you know there are different rice varieties and each one has different health benefits?

Most often than not, many of us widely believe that white rice leads to weight gain and hence, avoid eating it on a daily basis. For the uninitiated, white rice, which is a common variety in most parts of the world, is a highly refined one too. The shiny white appearance that we see on white rice is because of the thorough processing and polishing that it goes through. Hence, it doesn’t add much to any nutritional value.

However, brown rice, red rice and even black rice are not only comparatively healthier to white rice but also consist of several health benefits, according to the experts. The main nutrient all types of rice provides is carbohydrate. Let’s find out one by one.

White Rice

White rice, as mentioned earlier, is widely consumed in most households. As it goes through high level of refining and  processing, to get that shiny white appearance, it loses out on some of the essential nutrients like thiamine and other B Vitamins. Even though, it doesn’t have much nutritional value, it still is a storehouse of energy. It gives more energy to your body than any other rice variant because of the concentration of starch in it. It is replete with carbohydrates.

Brown Rice

As most of us know, brown rice is usually recommended when on diet. It is nothing but basically white rice which hasn’t gone through the refining process. That’s all! It is definitely more nutritious than white rice because they don’t go through the severe refining and processing which completely robs them off their essential nutrients. However, please note that brown rice has to be cooked very carefully as they can get mushy quickly. Many studies suggest that consuming one cup of brown rice on a daily basis can significantly cut short the risks of developing diabetes by up to 60%. Brown rice is replete with magnesium, iron and also can be a good source of zinc.

Red Rice

Ever heard of red rice? Well, do you know from where does it get its colour? The red rice gets its colour from an antioxidant called anthocyanin which is a compound found in several other red and purple coloured vegetables. Red rice is loaded with fibre, iron and is also considered to reduce inflammation in the body, controls cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure. In fact, you can consume red rice even if you are planning to lose weight as it takes a longer time to digest, thus, keeping you feeling full for a prolonged period of time.  Red rice has become popular over the last few years.

Black Rice

Black rice – ever heard of it? Also known as the ‘forbidden rice’, black rice has always been a part of Chinese cuisine for centuries together and in fact, was reserved only for royals. Loaded with fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, phytochemicals, Vitamin E, protein, and iron, black rice has its own set of health benefits. Did you know it is also said to reduce the risk of developing cancer? Basically, one serving of black rice contains only around 160 calories which makes it a much healthier alternative to regular white rice to eat on a regular basis.

So, which one are you planning to try next time?