The trope has been the same for a while: Choose whole grains, like whole-wheat pasta and brown rice over white versions. And no, that’s not wrong, but it’s also not the full story, says Kristen Chang, R.D., a sports dietitian based in Virginia. Rice is also a carb, and since so many people claim that carbs are so “bad” for you, you might end up wondering if brown rice is even healthy?
We get it. It’s confusing, and with so many conflicting reports, it’s hard to know what to believe. Let’s take a look at the benefits of brown rice and those of its somewhat-vilified cousin white rice.
Benefits of Brown Rice
Brown rice is a whole grain, plain and simple. That means it’s less processed than the white version. A whole grain has all three parts of the grain: bran (which has the bulk of the grain’s fiber), germ (which has the healthy fat), and endosperm (which is the carbohydrate), Chang explains.
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“It’s well-researched that the health benefits of whole grains include decreased cholesterol, better management of blood sugar levels, feeling fuller for longer, and a healthier gut,” she says. Most of those benefits can be attributed to the fiber content in whole grains like brown rice. Brown rice has also been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
When a whole grain like brown rice is processed, the bran and germ are stripped away, leaving you with a simple carbohydrate in the form of the endosperm.
So What About White Rice?
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend people make 50 percent of their daily carbohydrates whole grain. That means there is room for the white, more processed, carbs, says Chang. And for athletes, especially endurance athletes, white rice serves an important purpose.
“When it comes to fueling before and after, and even during a workout or race, white rice is the better choice,” she says. Why? Because the fat and fiber have been stripped away, it makes the white rice more easily digestible. That means your body can absorb the energy more quickly, you’ll have access to it sooner, and you’ll have less risk of GI distress, which is often brought on by eating too much fiber before hitting the road.
And after hard efforts, Chang says white rice can help restock the glycogen stores in your muscles thanks to its quick absorption. That’s why you see pros like Alex Howes of EF Education First chowing down on white rice cakes during his training rides.
Another benefit to consuming white rice over its brown counterpart is meeting higher calorie goals, especially during hard training. The nature of cycling makes it crazy easy to burn hundreds of calories (in what other sports can you cruise along for 70 miles like it’s NBD?). That means hours upon hours of calorie-burning exercise.
“Athletes need to work harder to make sure they’re getting the calories and carbs they need, and fiber can get in the way of that because it fills you up,” says Chang. “Sometimes we need to stop thinking so much about fiber and nutrient density and just get something in you.”
The Bottom Line
Generally speaking, brown rice is the healthier choice when you’re off the bike because it contains all three parts of the whole grain, which offer fiber, fat, and carbohydrate. There is no question that whole grains like brown rice have been linked to reduced cholesterol levels, better blood sugar maintenance, feelings of satiety, and better gut health.
That said, white rice also has a place in your diet. It’s more easily absorbed, which can help sidestep GI distress, and the energy is more quickly available for your body to use, which makes it a great option for an on-the-bike snack.
And while white rice is processed, it’s not as processed as say, eating a slice of cake with frosting. Plus, many white rice products are enriched with nutrients, including folate, iron, and selenium. The levels of folate and iron are higher in white rice than in brown; the selenium levels are about the same, says Chang.
You also don’t need to spend 30 minutes waiting for your rice—brown or white—to simmer to get the same benefits, says Chang. Instant rice is just as healthy and takes a fraction of the time to cook.
As for the claims of rice being high in arsenic? Those are actually true: Because of how the plants are grown—the plant and the grain absorb arsenic from the soil more so than other foods, says Chang—rice is one of the highest dietary sources of arsenic. But so long as you consume a wide variety of foods and not depend on rice as your only carb source, arsenic shouldn’t be a concern.
[Related: Is Whole Wheat Pasta Really Any Healthier Than White Pasta?]
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:44 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
