Brown Rice vs White Rice: Does It Matter?
Brown rice keeps the bran, so it has four times the fiber and three times the magnesium of white rice. Here is how much that matters, and when.
Yes, it matters, but less than many people think. Per 100 g cooked, brown rice has 1.6 g of fiber and 39 mg of magnesium against 0.4 g and 12 mg in white rice, for almost the same calories (123 vs 130 kcal). That gives brown rice a HowHealthyIs Score of 35/100 against 25 for white. Both are modest scores, and grains such as bulgur and quinoa beat both by a wide margin. If you eat rice often, brown is the better default; if only now and then, what you serve with it matters more.
What is the difference between brown and white rice?
Brown rice is the whole grain with only the inedible husk removed. White rice is the same grain milled further to strip off the bran and germ, which is where most of the fiber, magnesium and several B vitamins sit.
In the US, most white rice is enriched afterwards, with iron and B vitamins such as folic acid added back. That is why the white rice in USDA data has more folate (97 µg vs 9 µg per 100 g) and more iron (1.2 mg vs 0.56 mg) than brown rice. Fiber and magnesium are not added back. Unenriched white rice, common outside the US, lacks both.
How do they compare per 100 g?
All numbers below are calculated from USDA FoodData Central for cooked grains, and the score is our nutrient density rating per 100 kcal.
| Grain, cooked | kcal | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Magnesium (mg) | Iron (mg) | Folate (µg) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice, enriched | 130 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 12 | 1.2 | 97 | 25 |
| Brown rice | 123 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 39 | 0.56 | 9 | 36 |
| Wild rice | 101 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 32 | 0.6 | 26 | 45 |
| Barley, pearled | 123 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 22 | 1.33 | 16 | 43 |
| Buckwheat | 92 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 51 | 0.8 | 14 | 56 |
| Quinoa | 120 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 64 | 1.49 | 42 | 59 |
| Bulgur | 83 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 32 | 0.96 | 18 | 61 |
Protein is the same in both rices. The real gains from switching are fiber and magnesium. USDA data also show brown rice as richer in manganese and in thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6, nutrients our database does not track yet, so they are not in the score. Bulgur has nearly three times the fiber of brown rice for fewer calories.
What does a typical portion look like?
A cup of cooked brown rice weighs more than a cup of white rice in USDA data (195 g vs 158 g), because the grains pack differently. So per cup, brown rice has slightly more calories even though it has fewer per gram.
| Grain | 1 cup cooked | kcal | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Magnesium (mg) | Carbs (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 158 g | 205 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 19 | 44.5 |
| Brown rice | 195 g | 240 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 76 | 49.9 |
| Wild rice | 164 g | 166 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 52 | 35.0 |
| Quinoa | 185 g | 222 | 8.1 | 5.2 | 118 | 39.4 |
| Bulgur | 182 g | 151 | 5.6 | 8.2 | 58 | 33.8 |
A cup of brown rice gives about 18% of the daily value for magnesium and 11% for fiber. White rice gives 5% and 2%.
Does white rice raise the risk of type 2 diabetes?
White rice is digested quickly, so it tends to raise blood sugar faster than brown rice, whose bran slows things down a little. A large plate of either will still raise it.
The best known study on this is a 2010 analysis of three large US cohorts by Sun and colleagues in Archives of Internal Medicine. Eating five or more servings of white rice a week was linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than eating it less than once a month. Brown rice was linked to a lower risk. The authors estimated that swapping 50 g a day of white rice for the same amount of brown rice was linked to a 16% lower risk. A 2012 meta-analysis in the BMJ found a similar link, strongest in Asian populations, where white rice is eaten in large amounts every day.
These are observational studies, so they show a link and cannot prove that rice alone caused the difference. The direction is consistent, though.
What about arsenic in rice?
Rice takes up more arsenic from soil and water than most crops, and arsenic collects in the bran. That means brown rice usually contains more inorganic arsenic than white rice. The US FDA does not tell adults to stop eating rice. Its advice is to eat a varied diet with a range of grains, and it notes that cooking rice in plenty of water and draining the excess lowers the arsenic content. For babies and toddlers, the FDA suggests not relying on rice cereal as the only grain.
For most adults the practical answer is variety. If rice is a daily staple, rotate it with grains that take up little arsenic, such as quinoa, buckwheat, bulgur or barley.
How can you make a rice meal healthier?
- Watch the portion. One cup of cooked rice is a full serving of starch. Half a cup next to plenty of vegetables and protein is enough for many people.
- Pair it with legumes. Half a cup of brown rice (98 g) with half a cup of cooked lentils gives about 235 kcal, 11.6 g of protein and 9.4 g of fiber, compared with 4.3 g of protein and 0.6 g of fiber in a cup of white rice. Black beans or chickpeas work just as well, as in mujaddara.
- Add vegetables. A cup of broccoli adds 2.6 g of fiber for 34 kcal and bulks up the plate.
- Try cooling it. Cooked rice that is chilled and then reheated forms some resistant starch. A small 2015 trial found that cooled and reheated white rice was linked to a lower blood sugar response than freshly cooked rice. Chill leftovers quickly.
- Watch the extras. Fried rice dishes add oil and salt: our egg fried rice scores 30 and has 212 mg of sodium per 100 g, against 1 mg in plain white rice.
The short answer
Brown rice is the better everyday choice: same protein, about the same calories, and clearly more fiber and magnesium. Enriched white rice still provides folate and iron. The bigger wins come from portion size, from what shares the plate, and from rotating rice with grains such as bulgur, quinoa and buckwheat. See the full side by side in brown rice vs white rice, browse every grain in grains, or compare any two foods with the compare tool.