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?
Diet is all about trade offs. White rice has carbohydrates and little else. If you are eating lots of rice, then you are also eating less of other things that could provide more nutrients. This doesn’t mean rice can’t be part of a healthy diet; you just need to make sure you’re getting fiber, fats, protein, and micronutrients in the rest of your diet. The more rice you eat, the more difficult this becomes.
Whole grains are much more than just carbohydrates; they contain fiber and a variety of micronutrients. For the same amount of calories, you are providing your body with many more nutrients.
I will also point out that, even though rice is a refined carbohydrate, it’s still a complex carbohydrate. It’s still going to be better than sugar.
Eating refined carbohydrates with other foods can lessen the glycemic effects.
When grains are processed the co-nutrients needed for optimal digestion and metabolism are removed. Some of them are replaced to prevent diseases like beriberi. But much is never replaced. Whole plant phytonutrients are a many splendored thing - much more than a short list of essential vitamins and minerals. It’s the difference between essential and optimal nutrition.
Well, there is not much of a great reason why people hate refined carbs. It’s kind of the new fad. Unless you are constantly binging on refined carbohydrates, I don’t see any reason to avoid them. Eat the foods that work for YOU. If that involves simple carbs, then so be it. Furthermore, they are fortified with many nutrients, and… if you live in the west… you aren’t malnourished most likely.
Really the only issue you are going to run into with whole grains is maybe phytic acid? But you would have to have a LOT of your calories coming from them for that to be a genuine concern
Whole carbs are difficult to digest as they have to go through multiple steps to be broken down to sugar, its not simply that they contain fiber that slows down digestion but the way the sugars are stored makes it difficult to digest which means they release energy slowly over time. This is the same reason a whole piece of fruit is better than a smoothie, you have to actually digest the fruit to digest the sugars rather than just digesting the sugars.
Whole grains are also richer in minerals & vitamins.
Nothing wrong with white rice/white bread/white whatever in moderation. It’s certainly easier to hit nutritional goals with whole grains but as long as you eat them in moderation they are fine. The issue with white foods is more a serving size thing, when you get white rice from the chinese restaurant they are going to give you much more than the 1/2 cup cooked you should be eating.
Personally I think fructose in excess is the thing to be afraid of. The Diabetes epidemic has co-occurred with the use of high-fructose corn syrup whereas Asians had been eating white rice for a long time before that. This is discussed further in the book The Diabetes Code.
Increased dietary fiber increases satiety (more bulk sitting in your stomach per calorie), that is, it is harder to eat the same number of calories from wholegrain/high fiber sources than from refined sources. Over time, this leads to reduced weight gain, reduced insulin resistance when compared to a diet replacing these with refined carb sources. Over a lifetime, this could mean the difference between developing t2dm, heart disease, certain cancers etc.