White rice is the common term for milled rice which has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. After milling, the rice is polished, giving the resulting seed a bright, white, shiny coating. Since the bran contains much of the dietary fiber, the germ contains most of the vitamins and minerals, and the superficial aleurone layer removed during polishing contains the grain's essential fats, the white rice is little more than an empty starch. Healthier forms of rice include brown rice and wild rice. Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Rice refers to two species (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) of grass, native to tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia and to Africa, which together provide more than one fifth of the calories consumed by humans[1]. Rice is an annual plant, growing to 1-1. ... The term husk is mostly used to refer to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. ... Bran is the hard outer layer of cereal grains, and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. ... The germ is the heart of the cereal kernel, the embryo of the seed, and a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. ... Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system and absorb water. ... Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole grain. ... Species Zizania aquatica Zizania latifolia Zizania palustris Zizania texana The four species of wild rice comprise the genus Zizania, a group of grasses that grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams. ...

White rice is often artificially enriched with a few of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing. Enrichment of white rice with B1, B3, and iron is required by law in the United States. Thiamine mononitrate Thiamine or thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is a colorless compound with chemical formula C12H17N4OS. It is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. ... Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin whose derivatives such as NADH, NAD, NAD+, and NADP play essential roles in energy metabolism in the living cell and DNA repair. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ...

Despite having little more nutritional value (other than being a slightly more complex carbohydrate) than processed cane sugar, white rice is the staple source of calories in many oriental cultures, as in Japan, Malaysia, and China, resulting in issues with thiamin deficiency-related diseases, inadequate caloric intake, and other problems in those cultures, where their economic and social status in societies where white rice was not a staple may have been safe from such things. It has even been suggested that this is a pivotal reason for why people from eastern Asia who move to the West as very young children tend to grow taller than their counterparts back home^{[citation needed]}, which has long been credited to diet in general.

USDA nutritional information

Nutrition information for Rice, white, short-grain, cooked (including enrichment as required in the U.S.)
Serving Size: 1 cup (186 g)
Per serving: Food energy 241.8 cal (1012 kJ); food energy from fat 3.6 cal (15 kJ)

% Daily Values:
Total fat 0.4 g 0%
Food energy is the amount of energy in food that is available through digestion. ...

Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g

Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 0 mg 0%
Potassium 48.4 mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 53.4 g 17%
Protein 4.4 g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 15%
Thiamin 20%
Niacin 13%
Vitamin B6 5%
Folate 27%
Phosphorus 6%
Magnesium 3%
Zinc 4%
Copper 5%
Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. ... A polyunsaturated organic compound is one in which more than one double bond exists within the representative molecule. ... In nutrition, monounsaturated fats are dietary fats with one double-bonded carbon in the molecule, with all of the others single-bonded carbons. ... Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and a lipid found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 22. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 39. ... Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that contain oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon atoms. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Retinol, the dietary form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. ... 3D representation of vitamin C Chemical structure of vitamin C Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient and vitamin essential for life and for maintaining optimal health. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Thiamine mononitrate Thiamine or thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is a colorless compound with chemical formula C12H17ClN4OS. It is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. ... Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin whose derivatives such as NADH, NAD, NAD+, and NADP play essential roles in energy metabolism in the living cell and DNA repair. ... Pyridoxine Vitamin B-6 is a water-soluble vitamin. ... Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Atomic mass 65. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ...

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie (8370 kJ) diet.

External Links

• White Rice at NutritionData.com; full information concerning white rice's nutritional content and its place in a healthy diet.

See also

• Rice
• Brown rice
• Parboiled rice