The difference between refined carbohydrates like white rice and brown rice is the fiber and maybe some protein that is added to the rice in brown rice? And the main consideration is the glycemic effect? So like, if one were to eat vegetables with fiber first and then eat white rice or eat them together, maybe with some fat, that has the same effect as eating brown rice straight up? I am just trying to figure out why refined carbs are so vilified. I feel that other than this whole blood sugar insulin thing going on with pure refined carbs like sugar or rice, a carb is a carb whether it’s from fruit or vegetables or whole grain rice or noodles or whatever. Is this correct?
In: 6
The other answers are to one degree or another true, so I’m going to approach your question from a slightly different angle. What is the difference between a whole grain and a processed one (i.e. brown vs white rice, whole grain vs white bread).
The basic difference is that to make “white” grains, we remove the outer layers of the individual grains. These outer layers are full of protein and fat and fiber, making them nutritionally valuable, but that high fat content also means they go rancid fairly quickly. The inner layers are almost entirely starch, which generally tastes pretty good to us humans, but they aren’t super good for anything but energy.
Basically, the reason whole grains are seen as so much healthier is because they contain more non starch nutrients.
Latest Answers