Is Feeding Rice Grain or Wheat Harmful

by Victoria Mazmanyan | Last updated on February 11, 2021

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

vs

Summary

Wheat is richer in calories and all nutrients, including protein, fats, carbohydrates, most minerals, and vitamins. On the other hand, rice is higher in saturated fats, starch, as well as vitamin B9 and vitamin E. Overall, wheat is nutritionally superior to rice.

Wheat or brown rice is the preferred choice for anyone concerned with the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
1. Classification
2. Appearance
3. Taste and Use
2. Varieties and Types
3. Nutrition
1. Macronutrients and Calories
1. Calories
2. Protein and Fats
3. Carbohydrates
2. Vitamins
3. Minerals
4. Glycemic Index
5. Acidity
4. Weight Loss & Diets
5. Health Impact
1. Health Benefits
1. Cardiovascular Health
2. Diabetes
3. Cancer
2. Downsides and Risks
1. Cardiovascular Health
2. Diabetes
3. Arsenic Concerns
4. Gluten Intolerance
6. References

Introduction

Rice and wheat are two of the most commonly used cereal grains in the world. Since ancient times, these grains have served as the main ingredients for staple dishes for numerous civilizations.

In this article, we will be looking at how these two compare in nutrition and what effects they have on the human body.

Classification

Rice and wheat, as all cereal grains, grow on grass species. Rice is the seed of a plant belonging to the Oryza genus and the sativa (Asian rice) or glaberrima (African rice) species.

Wheat, as a grass, belongs to the Triticum genus. Like rice, wheat also includes various species as part of the genus. The most common species of wheat is the common wheat or Triticum aestivum.

The aspect of classification that rice and wheat share is the family. Both of these grains are part of the Poaceae family, sharing it with other invaluable crops, such as corn, barley, and millet.

Wheat grains and brown rice are whole grains, while white rice is classified as a refined grain.

Appearance

Rice and wheat grains can be easily distinguishable from each other by appearance. Both rice and wheat grains have narrow oblong shapes; however, rice tends to be thinner. A wheat grain might also have an indentation along its length.

Wheat grains appear in light yellow or beige colors. Depending on its variety, rice can be white, brown, or red.

Taste and Use

The taste of rice can be different depending on several aspects, such as variety and cooking methods. Both have been described to have a mild to nutty taste. Wheat can, at times, have a bitter flavor.

The texture of wheat is more fibrous, while most rice has a finer consistency.

Rice is most often boiled and used as such in cooking.

While wheat can also be cooked, it is more commonly used to produce flour. Wheat flour is used in the making of numerous popular foods, such as bread, spaghetti and pasta, pastries, pizza, and much more.

Varieties and Types

Both rice and wheat are composed of thousands of different varieties that have been cultivated for hundreds of years.

Rice is commonly classified by its kernel size: long-grain rice, medium-grain rice, and short-grain rice.

Rice can also be classified by the degree of milling: rough rice (the whole grain rice), brown rice (the grain with the bran but the hull removed), and white rice (the rice grain with both the bran and the hull removed).

The Asian rice is often categorized into four major groups: indica, japonica, aromatic and glutinous.

Interestingly, the grain called wild rice does not actually belong to the rice species.

Wheat is frequently classified into six groups: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, soft white, hard white, and durum.

Depending on genetic traits, wheat can be diploid (einkorn), tetraploid (durum, emmer, Khorasan), and hexaploid (common wheat, spelt).

Nutrition

Depending on the variety of rice or wheat, the nutritional value of the grain can change. This section talks about the nutritional properties of cooked, enriched, long-grained white rice and durum wheat.

Macronutrients and Calories

Wheat is significantly denser in nutrients compared to white rice. Wheat contains only 11% water, while rice consists of 68% water.

The average serving size of both of these foods is one cup. One cup of rice weighs 158g, while a cup of wheat is a little heavier, weighing 192g.

Calories

Rice and wheat are both high-calorie foods. However, wheat contains almost three times more calories than rice. A hundred grams of rice contains 130 calories, while the same amount of wheat has 339 calories.

Protein and Fats

Wheat also contains notably higher amounts of both fats and proteins.

Wheat has over four times more protein when compared to white rice. Both wheat and rice contain some level of all essential amino acids. Wheat is particularly rich in tryptophan, histidine, and phenylalanine.

Wheat and rice are low in fats. Rice contains almost equal levels of all three types of fats: polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids. Wheat, on the other hand, is richer in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Both of these grains naturally do not contain cholesterol.

Carbohydrates

Like most grains, wheat and rice are high in carbohydrates. This is mostly due to the large amounts of starch and dietary fiber.

Wheat grains are richer in dietary fiber, while rice is higher in starch.

Vitamins

Grains are a prominent source of most B group vitamins.

Wheat is significantly richer in most of these. Wheat grains contain higher levels of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamins B5 and B6.

On the other hand, enriched white rice is richer in both folic and folate forms of vitamin B9. Rice also contains vitamin E, which is absent in wheat.

Wheat and rice are both completely absent in vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin B12.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

3

:

5

Contains more Folate +34.9%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +157.1%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +830.8%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +356.5%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +139.7%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +350.5%

Contains more Folate +34.9%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +157.1%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +830.8%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +356.5%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +139.7%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +350.5%

Minerals

Wheat is the absolute clear winner in this section, being richer in all principal minerals: iron, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and selenium.

Wheat also contains twice the amount of sodium rice does.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

1

:

7

Contains less Sodium -50%

Contains more Calcium +240%

Contains more Iron +193.3%

Contains more Magnesium +1100%

Contains more Phosphorus +1081.4%

Contains more Potassium +1131.4%

Contains more Zinc +749%

Contains more Copper +701.4%

Contains less Sodium -50%

Contains more Calcium +240%

Contains more Iron +193.3%

Contains more Magnesium +1100%

Contains more Phosphorus +1081.4%

Contains more Potassium +1131.4%

Contains more Zinc +749%

Contains more Copper +701.4%

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of grains differs depending on variety, the content of dietary fiber, and cooking method.

According to The International Tables of Glycemic Indices, boiled white, arborio risotto rice has a glycemic index of 69±7. However, the mean of five different studies makes the glycemic index of boiled white rice 72±8. Boiled long-grained rice has a lower glycemic index of 60±3. The glycemic index of white basmati rice is 57±4 (1).

Based on the mean of three studies, the glycemic index of whole kernels of wheat has been calculated to be 45. The glycemic index of precooked and cooked durum wheat falls in the range of 50±5 (1).

Overall, the glycemic index of white rice tends to fall in the medium or high category, while wheat has a low glycemic index.

Acidity

Rice grains are slightly acidic. The pH value for rice can vary depending on variety, but it tends to stay within the range of 6 to 7. White rice has a pH value of 6 to 6.7, while the pH of brown rice falls between 6.2 to 6.7 (2).

Wheat is slightly more acidic. The pH of whole wheat is 5.8 (3).

An alternative method of measuring acidity is calculating the potential renal acid load or the PRAL, which demonstrates how much acid or base the given food produces inside the body.

The PRAL values for wheat and rice have been calculated to be 12.3 and 1.7, respectively. This means both foods are acidic, but wheat is more acid-forming.

Weight Loss & Diets

Rice and wheat are nutritious but also high in calories. However, there is no need to remove these foods from weight loss diets completely, as they are rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and low in fats.

When compared, rice is the better choice between the two for low-calorie, low-carb, and low-fat diets. Wheat is preferable on a low glycemic index diet.

One study has focused on rice intake and the development of obesity factors and found no association between the two (4).

However, a different study has concluded that high consumption of white rice, but not brown or multigrain rice, is correlated with body weight gain (5). On the other hand, brown rice consumption may help decrease body weight parameters (6).

In general, high whole grain rice consumption, such as whole-grain wheat and brown rice, has been significantly inversely associated with body mass index and body weight in observational studies (7).

Based on available evidence, it has been concluded that whole wheat consumption is not linked to the increased prevalence of obesity in the general population (8).

Health Impact

We saw that whole wheat has an overall nutritional superiority over refined grains. In this section, we will discuss how these two grains negatively or positively affect human health.

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health

One study has concluded that high consumption of white or brown rice has not been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease (9).

In contrast to the previous statement, one study has found a significant association between white rice consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, these correlations between refined rice intake and cardiovascular mortality have not been consistent (10).

The inclusion of regular wheat or whole-grain product consumption in a diet has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality (11).

Whole-grain consumption may also lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure (12).

Diabetes

Wheat grains have a low glycemic index. A high intake of whole grains has also been correlated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes (11).

Substitution of wheat or brown rice for white rice can lower the risk of developing diabetes (13).

Regular whole-grain consumption is recommended to lower diabetes risk, as it can improve plasma glucose regulation, postprandial hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and have a beneficial effect on body weight (14).

Cancer

Levels of arsenic content found in rice have been a concern for researchers. However, studies have found no correlation between rice intake and the risk of developing cancer (15).

Furthermore, a multigrain rice diet has been associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (16).

By-products of rice have also been researched to act as chemoprotective dietary agents (17).

Regular intake of whole-grain products has been studied to decrease the risk of colorectal, gastric, endometrial, and breast cancers (18, 19).

Scientists recommend a daily intake of 90g of whole-grain foods, less than the average serving size, for this chemoprotective effect (20).

Downsides and Risks

Cardiovascular Health

As mentioned previously, some researchers have found a higher intake of refined grains, such as white rice, to be associated with higher mortality and major cardiovascular disease events (21).

Diabetes

Regular high consumption of white rice may lead to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This association was stronger in South Asian countries (22).

Reducing white rice intake and adding more whole grains, vegetables and fruits, legumes, and nuts can be recommended to people trying to reduce the risk of diabetes (23).

Arsenic Concerns

The association between the increased risk of rice consumption and cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes may be due to the higher than normal levels of inorganic arsenic found in rice.

This problem might affect children in particular, as arsenic has been associated with neurocognitive defects in children (24).

Gluten Intolerance

Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains, such as wheat and rye, and their products. A small part of the population might have adverse reactions to gluten consumption. In these individuals, gluten might trigger celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, as well as more rare conditions, such as dermatitis herpetiformis and gluten ataxia.

However, these proteins are harmless for people who do not have gluten intolerance.

Rice does not contain proteins from the gluten family.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
2. https://www.mt.com/gb/en/home/library/applications/lab-analytical-instruments/measurement-pH-of-rice.htm
3. http://www.nphsystem.guide/grain_food_values.htm
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3653247/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30312545/
6. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255732371
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627338/
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733521013000969
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269876930
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4530655/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908315/
12. https://www.cochrane.org/CD005051/VASC_whole-grain-cereals-cardiovascular-disease
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3024208/
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163785/
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919813/
16. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343311493
17. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/9017902/
18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8610041/
19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723813/
20. Whole grains: how much do you need for lower cancer risk?
21. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.m4948
22. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/43/11/2643
23. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/43/11/2625.full.pdf
24. Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Risk Assessment Report

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: February 11, 2021

Infographic

Which food is preferable for your diet?

Low Fats diet

Low Carbs diet

Low Calories diet

Low glycemic index diet

is better in case of low diet

Low Fats diet
Low Carbs diet
Low Calories diet
Low glycemic index diet

People also compare

Vitamin and Mineral Summary Scores

The summary score is calculated by summing up the daily values contained in 300 grams of the product. Obviously the more the food fulfills human daily needs, the more the summary score is.

Vitamin Summary Score

13

37

Mineral Summary Score

14

100

Macronutrients Comparison

Macronutrient comparison charts compare the amount of protein, total fats, and total carbohydrates in 300 grams of the food. The displayed values show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of food.

Protein

16%

82%

Carbohydrates

28%

71%

Fats

1%

11%

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?

Wheat is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.05g)

Which food is lower in glycemic index?

Wheat is lower in glycemic index (difference - 10)

Which food is cheaper?

Wheat is cheaper (difference - $0.6)

Which food is richer in minerals?

Wheat is relatively richer in minerals

Which food contains less Sodium?

Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?

Rice is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.377g)

Which food contains less Cholesterol?

?

The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

Which food is richer in vitamins?

?

It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

boydyoustur.blogspot.com

Source: https://foodstruct.com/compare/rice-vs-wheat

Share this post