According to the Rice Association, there are more than 40,000 varieties of cultivated rice and over 90,000 samples of rice stored at the International Rice Gene Bank. The USDA states that rice is the primary staple for more than half the world's population. Whether used as a primary staple or occasional side dish, it is a good source of most minerals and many vitamins.
Definition
Rice is a seed from a species of grass called Oryza sativa. White rice is processed to remove the layers of bran and husk. Brown rice goes through just enough processing to remove the husk while retaining the bran, so it is higher in more nutrients than white rice. Parboiled or converted rice is pressure steamed before processing, which helps the rice maintain more nutritional value. This article includes information for long grain white and brown rice with a portion size of one cup of cooked rice.
Basic Nutrition
Brown and white rice contain almost equal amounts of calories, protein, total fat and carbohydrates. The caloric values are 205 to 216, they both provide 5 grams of protein, 1 to 2 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) of fats and 15 percent DV of carbohydrates. However, brown rice provides significantly more fiber, having 14 percent DV compared with white rice's 3 percent DV.
Vitamins
White and brown rice are great sources of thiamine and niacin, providing 12 to 17 percent of the daily value of each. Brown rice is a better source of vitamin B6, with 14 percent compared with 7 percent of the daily value from white rice. On the other hand, white rice is a better source of folate. White rice provides 23 percent while brown rice only has 2 percent of the DV for folate. Both have about 6 percent DV of pantothenic acid and 1 to 3 percent of the DV for riboflavin.
Minerals
Any type of rice is a good source of minerals, but brown rice retains more minerals overall than white rice. Brown rice provides about four times more magnesium (21 percent vs. 5 percent DV) and twice the amount of phosphorus (16 percent vs. 7 percent DV), copper (10 percent vs. 5 percent DV), and manganese (88 percent vs. 37 percent DV). You'll also get 27 percent of your daily selenium from brown rice and 17 percent from white rice. Both types of rice provide calcium and potassium (2 percent DV each).
Essential Fatty Acids
Rice is low in fat, but contains the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Brown and white rice contain close to the same amount of omega-3 (27 and 20.5 mg respectively). White race provides 98 mg of omega-6 while brown rice has a much larger amount---603 mg.
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