How Is Rice Good For You? Yes! It's Actually Healthy!

Rice is often misperceived as not being good for you when in actual fact, the opposite is true. it’s been demonised for all the wrong reasons and not praised enough for it’s health benefits.

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Let's Look At The Healthy Stuff

Rice is one of the oldest cultivated crops, first mentioned in history as far back as 2800 BC in China. Rice is a staple crop and forms the foundation of the diet for many of the world's population, especially those living in Southern and Eastern Asia.

There are four major categories of rice worldwide, indica, japonica, aromatic and glutinous and it’s thought over 140,000 different varieties of rice, but only a few varieties are grown widely. In many Asian languages the word for rice is interchangeable with the word for food and is the staple food of over half the world's population.

But did you know that contrary to what some people may think – rice is actually very healthy for you!

Check Our Rice Guide

Learn about grain types, cooking tips and more

Check Our Rice Guide

The Science Part

Rice is an excellent source of energy. It is comprised of 77.5% carbohydrate; carbohydrate is one of the human body's two main sources of energy, the second being fat. Like other cereals, the carbohydrate in rice is mainly in the form of starch - a complex carbohydrate, and like other cereals the starches occur in granules in the endosperm.

Starch exists as either amylose or amylopectin and comprises units of glucose (a simple sugar) linked together in very large numbers. During digestion, the links are broken and the resulting glucose is absorbed into the body.

Amylopectin contains branches and is less resistant to digestion whereas amylose is a straight chain molecule and harder for the digestive system to break up. This means that rice varieties with a greater proportion of starch in the form of amylose tend to have a lower glycaemic index (see below for more information on the glycaemic index).

Rice Healthy Eating Profile

  • contains very little fat and no cholesterol
  • contains fibre – especially brown rice
  • rich in vitamins and nutrients
  • contains almost no sodium (although salt is often added in cooking)
  • is gluten free and so is a useful food for coeliacs
  • does not cause allergic reactions
  • is easily digested - suitable for the very young and elderly
  • is a relatively inexpensive food and can form the basis of a satisfying, nutritious low cost meal

So Why Is Rice Good For You?

Rice is an excellent food source, low in fat and high in starchy carbohydrate. Rice is packed full of vitamins and minerals and provides an excellent source of vitamin E, B vitamins (thiamin, niacin) and potassium.

Brown rice and basmati rice have medium or low GI values, and are not associated with increasing risk factors for weight gain and diabetes. Rice has been found to be very easy to digest. It is low in fat, low in cholesterol, high in starch, and has a high nutritional content. Rice also contains a range of important nutrients, including B and E vitamins, protein, and minerals - especially potassium which helps the body reduce toxins.

Rice can contribute significantly to vitamin and mineral intake, although the contribution to micronutrient intake will depend on the proportion of germ, bran and endosperm consumed (i.e. the balance between brown and white rice).

According to the UK's Food Standard Agency Balance of Good Health food model, cereal products including rice, alongside potatoes, bread and cereals, should form the major part of a meal. These guidelines recommend that one-third, or 33%, of meals are based on carbohydrate rich food such as rice, bread, pasta and potatoes. In terms of calories, carbohydrate rich foods should make up around 50% of our total calorific intake.

Allergic reactions to rice are rare in the western world, and rice can be an invaluable alternative source of carbohydrate and energy for anyone allergic to gluten or wheat. Rice can also be ground and made into flour and wine.

The Way You Cook Rice Matters

The varieties of rice, for many purposes, are distinguished as long, medium, and short-grain rice.

The grains of fragrant long-grain rice (high amylose) tend to remain intact after cooking; medium-grain rice (high amylopectin) becomes more sticky.

Medium-grain rice is used for sweet dishes, for risotto in Italy and many rice dishes, such as arròs negre, in Spain. Some varieties of long-grain rice are high in amylopectin, these are generally known as sticky rice, usually steamed. A stickier short or medium grain rice is used for sushi; the stickiness lets the rice be moulded into a solid shape whilst short-grain rice is often used for dessert dishes like rice pudding.

In Middle Eastern cuisine, rice is an ingredient of many soups and dishes with fish, poultry, and other types of meat. It is also used to stuff vegetables or is wrapped in grape leaves (dolma). When combined with milk, sugar, and honey, it is used to make desserts. In some regions, bread is made using rice flour. Medieval Islamic texts spoke of medical uses for the plant.

Rice may also be made into congee (also called rice porridge, fawrclaab, okayu, Xifan, jook, or rice gruel) by adding more water than usual, so that the cooked rice is saturated with water, usually to the point that it disintegrates. Rice porridge is commonly eaten as a breakfast food, and is also a traditional food for the sick.

Rice may be soaked prior to cooking, which saves fuel, decreases cooking time, minimizes exposure to high temperature and thus decreases the stickiness of the rice. For some varieties, soaking improves the texture of the cooked rice by increasing expansion of the grains. Good premium rice cookers sometimes have this soaking phase built into their fuzzy logic programmes.

By far the easiest way of cooking rice is in a rice cooker, we stock several models of fuzzy logic rice cookers which make cooking rice very simple. However, rather than simply boiling the rice, these rice cookers gently steam, braise, soak, boil, rest and make small adjustments to the temperature to produce rice which is perfect.

What Is The Glycaemic Index?

There is currently developing interest in classifying foods according to their glycaemic index. The GI is intended to measure how quickly a carbohydrate food is absorbed into the blood stream. Foods with a higher GI are, in principle, more quickly digested than those with a lower GI value. To simplify things, the rate of digestion and absorption is influenced by a number of factors:

  • Cooking method and amount of chewing (the more food is chewed, the higher the GI value)
  • Cooking or processing (milling increases the GI)
  • The nature and amount of carbohydrate
  • Other food components (presence of fat and protein tends to lower GI values)
  • The nature of the starch (eg: ratio of amylose to amylopectin)
  • Individual variation. Given the same food, there can be a 50% variation in GI value between individuals
  • By eating low GI foods this means that the energy released from the food is slower and therefore keeps you feeling fuller for longer!

Hatsuga genmai (or germinated brown rice) is unpolished brown japonica (Japanese) rice, that has been allowed to germinate in order to alter the flavour and also to increase levels of nutrients such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Hatsuga genmai has a softer texture than brown rice, a nuttier flavour and a lower GI value. Germinated (GABA) rice an emerging health food where regular brown rice is soaked in warm water prior to cooking; the warm bath induces germination, or sprouting, which stimulates rice enzymes to produce more nutrients. One of these nutrients is the important brain chemical GABA (which is why germinated brown rice is referred to as "GABA rice"), and some scientific studies have shown that a germinated brown rice rich diet can improve cognitive function and other studies have found that it could also act as an anti-diabetic.

We have more information on GABA rice and we sell rice cookers which make it simple to cook GABA rice (the cooking cycles include a special pre-soak) – these are Hotaru, Fujiand Bamboo Induction Heating (IH) rice cooker, and the Zojirushi NS-YSQ10 and NS-YSQ18

The Myth About Arsenic And Rice

Rice millers in most Western countries (including the UK and Europe) and main rice growing countries, regularly monitor their products for the presence of inorganic arsenic (iAs).  The overwhelming majority of rice is consumed as grain rather than in processed foods. Over 1000 tests have been undertaken by millers during recent months and years, on white and brown rice.  Average levels of iAs are well below the new maximum limits established by the European Commission in January 2016, and more than 99% of individual test results are also in compliance. 

Rice is an important and nutritious contributor to a balanced and healthy diet. These results demonstrate that there is no health risk associated with the regular consumption of rice.

Arsenic is naturally present in air, soil and water, a wide range of foods may contain arsenic at trace levels, and in some countries water is a very significant source. Arsenic can be present in organic and inorganic form. Inorganic arsenic is believed to be bad for health if consumed regularly at high levels over long periods of time.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) undertook a major review of the main sources of iAs in the European diet, published in March 20141.  This found that the main source was grain based foods (excluding rice).  Milk and dairy products along with drinking water were also significant sources.  Depending on age group, according to EFSA, rice accounted for 5% to 15% of dietary intake of iAs.  For adults in the UK the estimate was 14%.

Based on the extensive EFSA evidence review and the development of limits within the World Health Organisation’s  Codex Alimentarius, the European Commission has established maximum limits for iAs in rice and rice products.  The regulation sets out limits of 0.20 mg per kg for white rice, and 0.25mg/kg for brown rice.  A lower level of 0.10 mg/kg is set for products intended for children, and a slightly higher limit of 0.30 mg/kg for certain puffed rice products. The rice sector welcomes the establishment of regulatory controls which will help to protect consumer health and provide clarity to industry.  Steps have already been taken to ensure compliance.

As noted above, more than 1000 tests were undertaken by rice millers in the 18 months before the regulation came into force. These covered rice (brown rice, white rice and broken rice) from over 20 origins; and showed that rice used by UK and other European millers conforms with the proposed limits in more than 99% of cases, the majority being well below. 

For each of the six main sources of rice (India, Italy, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam) the average level for total arsenic was below the proposed limit for inorganic arsenic.

 

Time For The Facts

THAT'S A LOT OF RICE! The average person in much of Asia eats rice two or three times a day. The average person in Myanmar eats 195kg of rice each year; in Lao PDR and Cambodia, it's about 160kg. Contrast this with the average European, who consumes 3kg per year and the average American, who eats 7kg.

MUD, SWEAT, AND GAZING AT A WATER BUFFALO'S REAR END. To plow 1 ha of rice land in the traditional way, a farmer and his water buffalo (preparing land is almost always men's work) must walk 80 km.

WHAT? WILD RICE ISN'T RICE? So-called "wild rice" it isn't rice at all - it's actually a grass!

GROW IT, EAT IT. Most rice is consumed in the country where it is produced. Only 5 percent of the world's total is exported. India ships the most representing 30% of exports followed by Thailand at 16% followed by Vietnam at 14%. Global irce production in 2024 was estimated to be a whopping 520 million metric tons!

THIRSTY RICE. It takes 5,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of rice.

WHY IS MY BACK SORE? In Asia, planting rice is often a back-breaking chore. Every seedling must be poked into the mud by hand - usually by women.

HIGH-TECH RICE PRODUCTION. Many rice farmers in the United States level their fields with laser-controlled earthmovers and seed their fields from airplanes.

THAT'S DIVERSITY! More than 140,000 varieties of cultivated rice (the grass species Oryza sativa) are thought to exist - but no one really knows for sure. More than 90,000 samples of cultivated rice and wild species are stored in trust in the International Rice Genebank for use by researchers around the world.

RICE-EATING COUNTRIES. Three of the world's four most populous nations are rice-based societies - China, India, and Indonesia. Together, they have nearly 296 billion people (as of 2025).

NO SUCH THING AS SUSHI RICE! What is commonly known as sushi rice is actually short grain rice that is prepared in a specific way after and/or during cooking. 

With thanks to usarice.com and UK rice association.

Top 5 Rice Eating Countries

  1. China
  2. India
  3. Indonesia
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Philippines