Parboiled or brown rice: which is better? Look

Rice: parboiled or whole?

To answer this question, it is necessary to pay attention to something that goes far beyond the taste, appearance and form of preparation. Depending on the needs of each person, the rice indicated may vary.

Rice is a food that is very present on the Brazilian table. It is easily combined, either with more sophisticated dishes or called basicão ( beans , steak and potato fries).

Brown rice has mineral salts such as phosphorus, iron and calcium. Added to this, there are also proteins, B-complex vitamins and fiber . Parboiled rice is also rich in carbohydrates, however, the amount of nutrients is a little less.

This loss of nutrients happens in the production process, as it is kept for a long period immersed in boiling water so that the bark comes off. “Some nutrients are kept inside the grain. So, its nutritional value is better than white rice”, explains Daniela Menardo.

Nutrients are not lost, they are just transformed. “When rice goes through this process, part of the nutrients that are in its shell and in the germ are integrated to the starch, or to its inner layer”, adds Carol Morais.

Brown rice is healthier

Given all that has been explained so far, you can already see that it is much healthier to eat brown rice than parboiled rice. But, in any doubt, the best thing is to consult the doctor.

“The best for consumption would be wholemeal, however, when choosing between white and parboiled, parboiled is more nutritious. Polished (white) rice has no nutrients at all”, stamps Daniela Menardo.

Both types of rice have one thing in common: good methionine levels. It is a type of essential amino acid, which is not produced by humans.

It can act positively in various functions. Among the main ones are: improves mood, lowers cholesterol levels , reduces the feeling of fatigue, in addition to strengthening hair and moisturizing nails .

Benefits of brown rice

Brown rice is a food rich in fiber, so it works in favor of intestinal transit, helps to reduce the accumulation of fat in the abdominal region , improves muscle metabolism and controls insulin.

This type of rice also has long molecular chains, which causes it to take a long time to be metabolized and absorbed by the body. All of this prolongs the feeling of satiety.

It also prevents diabetes precisely by controlling the body’s insulin. As for the choice of brown rice, nutritionist Carol Morais endorses, “the more natural and wholegrain the better”.

Benefits of Parboiled Rice

Parboiled rice has its advantages, not as much as brown rice, but much more than white rice. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, precisely due to the parboiling process.

When it comes to cooking, many people complain about the time it takes for brown rice to be prepared. Parboiled rice is ready faster and is also very loose. It also yields more and requires less oil to prepare.

Another advantage it has is that it maintains its main properties when heated. “Parboiled rice can indeed be considered better than white rice as it concentrates a greater amount of nutrients”, says the website Treino Mestre.

However, when compared to the integral, it loses. “It doesn’t have such good nutritional value and it has less fiber,” adds the page. In terms of flavor, the parboiled one comes out ahead.

Additional tip

Any questions that may arise regarding the intake of brown rice or parboiled rice, the best way to clarify it is to seek guidance from a health care professional, be it a doctor or a nutritionist.