| ≥1 piece |
Brown rice is whole grain rice. It has a mild, nutty flavor, and is chewier and more nutritious than white rice. Brown rice has the bran and germ, which are removed to make white rice. Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. It is a whole grain with a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, an excellent source of manganese and high in fiber.
The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Brown rice flour contains the whole bran where 60% of the nutrients of rice are contained. Brown rice is naturally gluten free and usually does not present an allergen problem. Some brown rice flour is produced in mills that also produce glutinous grains.