Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

White rice spikes blood sugar levels and ‘has almost the same effect as eating pure table sugar,’ according to Harvard Medical School

White rice spikes blood sugar levels and ‘has almost the same effect as eating pure table sugar,’ according to Harvard Medical School

White rice is less nutritious than brown rice because it lacks the most nutrient-dense parts of rice: the bran and germ.

Brown rice contains more key nutrients like fiber and protein that slow down digestion and won’t spike blood sugar levels the way white rice will.

Both white and brown rice can be dangerous in large amounts – especially for children – because they may contain traces of arsenic, a carcinogen.

More than half of the world’s population relies on rice as a staple food. In 2018, 485 million metric tons of rice were produced globally.

White rice is much more common than brown rice because it has a longer shelf life and transports more easily. However, white rice is also less nutritious. Here’s what you need to know.

The difference between white and brown rice
White and brown rice are not different species. In fact, most of the rice we eat is the same species – Oryza sativa. The difference is that brown rice has two distinctive parts that white rice lacks.


The bran, which is the outer edible layer of the rice grain.


The germ, which is the reproductive part of the grain.
These not only give brown rice its color, but they’re also the most nutrient-dense parts of rice. One downside is that the fat in the bran and germ makes brown rice spoil more quickly than white rice. The average shelf life for brown rice is about six months.

By contrast, white rice is what’s left behind after the grain is polished and the bran and germ are removed. This makes white rice cook faster and gives it a longer shelf life. It also means that white rice contains fewer nutrients than brown rice.

But this does not mean that white rice is inherently bad for you, though it is less healthy, says Elizabeth Ryan, a researcher at Colorado State University who studies the nutrients in rice bran.

“At the end of the day, eating whole grains is always going to be important,” Ryan said.

In fact, when you get rid of the bran and germ in rice, here’s what you’re really removing nutrition-wise:


Calcium, which is important for teeth and bone health.


Fat, which consists of healthy unsaturated fats that are important for cardiovascular health.
Phosphorus, which collaborates with calcium to form strong bones and teeth.
Vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B3 (niacin), which helps keep the nervous system functioning properly.
Protein, which helps build muscle and is essential for growth and development.
Magnesium, which is important for proper neurological function, among many other benefits.
For comparison, here’s how much nutrition you get from a cup of cooked white rice versus brown.

1 cup white rice 1 cup brown rice Calories 205 216 Carbohydrates 45 grams 45 grams Fat 0.4 grams 1.8 grams Protein 4.2 grams 5 grams Fiber 0.6 grams 3.5 grams Calcium 15.8 grams 19.5 milligrams Magnesium 19 milligrams 84 milligrams Thiamine 0.3 milligrams 0.2 milligrams Niacin 2.3 milligrams 3.0 milligrams Phosphorous 68 milligrams 162 milligrams


Benefits of eating brown rice instead of white


Ryan is specifically interested in the disease-preventing and nutritional benefits of eating rice bran. Her research has shown that nutrients in rice bran could help protect against colorectal cancer. The bran makes brown rice rich in compounds called phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

“There’s a lot of phytochemicals in brown rice that are not in white rice,” she says.

Brown rice has more soluble and insoluble fiber and protein than white rice. This fiber is a good prebiotic, Ryan says, which means it helps feed a healthy gut microbiome. And a healthy gut microbiome is essential for myriad functions, including digestion and a strong immune function.

While most of the calories in white and brown rice come from carbohydrates, white rice has a higher glycemic index than brown rice. This means that a serving of white rice provides a quicker blood sugar spike, which, according to Harvard Medical School, “has almost the same effect as eating pure table sugar.” Brown rice has a lower glycemic index, which is better for warding off diseases like diabetes.

Overall, Ryan says that when out grabbing lunch and offered the option of white rice or brown, “if there’s an opportunity to substitute it with brown rice, you are improving your whole-grain intake.”


White and brown rice contain traces of arsenic


In the past decade, rice has gotten attention for being a grain that is naturally contaminated with arsenic, a carcinogen.

In 2012 Consumer Reports tested brown rice, white rice, and rice products available in the supermarket and found a wide variety had measurable levels of arsenic in them. In a follow-up, in 2014, it reported that one serving of many rice cereal and pasta products contained “over the maximum amount of rice we recommend they should have in a week.”

Both white and brown rice contain arsenic from the environment. The amount of arsenic that is incorporated into the rice depends on how much of the element is in the soil, which varies regionally. For example, Consumer Reports found the lowest levels of arsenic in basmati rice from California, while the highest levels were in rice from Texas.

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance to manufacturers to limit arsenic in rice cereal for infants. The FDA recommends that adults and children continue to eat rice products, but make sure they are also eating a varied diet of whole grains like wheat, oats, and barley, saying that “if there are substances in food (like arsenic) where reducing exposure is prudent, you’re minimizing that exposure.”

Washing brown rice, cooking it in extra water, and then rinsing it again will get rid of around 50% of arsenic, but will also wash away some of the more beneficial nutrients.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×