Is White Rice Healthy?

bowl of uncooked white rice grains

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Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world's population. There are over 110,000 cultivated varieties of rice, typically grouped into two categories: white and brown. Is white rice healthy? White rice is refined grain with about 205 calories per one-cup serving. It's perfectly OK to enjoy white rice in moderation to minimize the risk of increased blood sugar and weight gain.

Many people consume and prefer white rice to brown rice, but is rice good for you? Read on to learn if white rice is healthy, tips for consuming it, and more.

Helps Maintain Energy

A one-cup serving of cooked white rice provides 44.6 grams (g) of carbs, which break down into glucose (sugar). Glucose is your body's main energy source. Your body can use glucose right away after eating or store it in your liver and muscle cells to use later.

White rice, which is a refined grain, can give you an energy boost to get through the day. Your body breaks down refined grains easily, resulting in a quick spike in blood sugar.

Is Naturally Gluten-Free

A gluten-free diet helps treat celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine. Gluten is a protein in many grains, such as barley, rye, and wheat. Rice is an example of a grain that people with celiac disease can eat since it's naturally gluten-free.

Might Improve Bone and Muscle Strength

One cup of cooked white rice offers 19 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. This mineral plays an essential role in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body, including strengthening your bones and muscles. Research has shown that magnesium helps protect against age-related loss of muscle mass and density.

Supports Gut Health

Research has shown that cooking and cooling starches, including white rice, boost the formation of resistant starch. This complex carb acts as a prebiotic, which feeds "good" bacteria in your gut that support healthy digestion.

A study published in 2015 analyzed the resistant starch contents of cooked white rice cooled for 10 hours and cooked white rice cooled for 24 hours and then reheated. The researchers found that cooling the rice boosted the resistant starch content.

Nutrition of White Rice

One cup of cooked white rice contains:

  • Calories: 205
  • Fat: 0.442g
  • Sodium: 1.58mg
  • Carbohydrates: 44.6g
  • Fiber: 0.632g
  • Added sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 4.25g

In addition to magnesium, white rice contains key nutrients, such as phosphorous and selenium. Phosphorus, which makes up nearly 1% of your body weight, is a mineral that's mostly found in your bones and teeth. Your body needs a small amount of selenium to make antioxidant enzymes, which protect against cell damage.

White Rice vs. Other Kinds of Rice

Some people refer to white rice as a "bad" or "empty" carb since it has fewer nutrients than brown rice and other kinds. Still, some white rice varieties are "enriched," meaning that manufacturers have added back nutrients like B vitamins and iron.

In addition to brown rice, other kinds of rice often have more antioxidants and fiber than white rice. For example, black rice is a source of anthocyanins, which have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. You might opt for red or wild rice if you want to boost your fiber intake. Red rice has 4.08g of fiber per one-cup serving, while wild rice has 2.95g per cup.

Brown Rice vs. White Rice

Rice is a grain. Brown rice is a whole grain, meaning that all parts of the grain remain intact. In contrast, manufacturers remove two parts of the grain, the bran and the embryo, to produce white rice. The remaining part of the grain is the starchy section, or the endosperm. That process removes most of the naturally occurring B vitamins, fiber, and minerals.

A one-cup serving of cooked brown rice provides 78.8mg of magnesium, compared to 19mg in white rice. The same serving of brown rice has 174mg of potassium, while white rice has 55.3mg. Brown rice also has more fiber per cup than white rice.

Risks of White Rice

White rice is generally safe to eat in moderation. Eating too much white rice might spike your post-meal blood sugar and raise insulin levels. A study published in 2020, which looked at data from more than 130,000 people, linked high consumption of white rice to an increased risk of new-onset diabetes.

Consuming cooked white rice that's cooled for 24 hours and then reheated might significantly lower your post-meal blood sugar compared to freshly cooked white rice. Allow white rice to cool to room temperature before eating, or chill it in the refrigerator for later use if possible.

There's a lack of conclusive evidence on whether white rice causes weight gain. Still, some evidence suggests that whole grains, such as brown rice, are more beneficial for weight loss than refined grains.

Research has shown that rice contains arsenic, a toxic element. Consuming arsenic may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. High levels of arsenic can be fatal. There's less arsenic in white rice than in brown rice. Still, make sure that you wash and cook rice in clean water to reduce its arsenic content by as much as 57%.

Tips for Consuming White Rice

You can incorporate white rice into nearly any meal and use it in savory and sweet dishes. Here are some ideas:

  • Mix in white rice to a breakfast scramble with eggs or plant-based egg substitutes, herbs, and vegetables.
  • Enjoy a grain bowl with white rice, lean protein, and vegetables.
  • Add white rice to stir-fries, soups, and vegetable chili, or serve it as a side dish. 
  • Make a tasty rice treat, such as rice pudding, sticky mango rice, sweet coconut rice, and even toasted rice ice cream. 
  • Use white rice in place of oats as a hot or chilled breakfast porridge, prepared with fruits, nuts, plant milk, seeds, and spices.

Make sure that you pair white rice with nutrient-rich whole foods. Try alternating white rice with other whole-grain options, such as brown and wild rice, millet, oats, and quinoa.

A Quick Review

White rice is an essential staple in many cultures. This refined grain can give you a quick burst of energy and is naturally gluten-free. White rice is also a source of magnesium, which helps protect your bones and muscles.

Still, consuming too much white rice might cause spikes in blood sugar and result in weight gain. Keep in mind that no single food makes or breaks the healthfulness of your eating pattern. Just remember to eat white rice in moderation. 

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22 Sources
Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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