Both rice and wheat belong to the category of whole grains, which you can choose to eat depending upon your mood. But if you are a kind of concerned person and remains worried about your diet you must know what brings you more benefits with its nutrients either rice or wheat? Though they almost have similar profiles except for a few differences in their nutrient content still rice is better in one way and wheat in other. Wheat has much more of vital vitamins and minerals, while rice can do a great job for those suffering from celiac disease. Well, nature has put its advantages in every single grain but you must know what to chose and when to choose?
Let’s learn the Basics:
Whole grains are always a better choice over processed varieties such as white rice and white flour. All the grains almost have an equal amount of carbohydrates where the processed foods have half of them and sometimes even less than that. Those processed foods which have been enriched with vitamins and minerals can never though retain their fiber content as much as the whole grains have already.
When it comes to Minerals:
Here again both brown rice and whole-grain wheat have almost an equal amount of minerals in them. Wheat bran bread is a good source of more calcium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. You can get 3-9 percent of the daily required amount of above-mentioned 4 nutrients from a single piece of rice or wheat bran bread. Women get 5 percent of their daily required intake of iron while men get 12 percent of it from brown rice and whole-grain wheat.
When it comes to Fiber:
Whole-grain wheat seems to be exceeding in their fiber content from brown rice by 2-3 times. According to the USDA Nutrient Laboratory, one cup of whole-grain wheat contains double the fiber than brown rice flour while a single slice of it has 3.5 grams of fiber compared to 1-gram fiber found in a single slice of rice bran bread. They both are a source of soluble and insoluble fiber but significantly a higher percentage of insoluble fiber which is excellent for preventing constipation by keeping the digestive tract active. Also, lowers the risks of developing the diverticular disease and relieves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
When it comes to Vitamins:
Again, both the grains contain an equal number of vitamins except the folate. Though they are equally potent in providing energy from thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin. They both have a small amount of vitamin E, which mainly act as an antioxidant. Whole-grain wheat again wins the race by being a better source of folate, almost double the amount found in a single slice of rice bran bread, that is 14 percent of the recommended daily intake of folate. Why is folate essential? It is important in removing homocysteine from the blood which may lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and may also protect against menopausal symptoms. It is also essential for the multiplication and proliferation of new cells, required in the periods of pregnancy and childhood growth.
When it comes to Phytonutrients:
Both grains have been recorded to provide the phytonutrients (nutrients obtained from plants) called lignans but again wheat has three times more of it, according to Dietary Fiber Food. Lignans are then converted into substances quite similar to estrogen. These are known as “phytoestrogens” and are weaker than the body’s real estrogens but bind to the same receptors. If the estrogens levels are low in body, lignans can play the part to raise the estrogen levels of the body. people relying on the diets that include lignans have been reported to face lower risks of cardiovascular disease and may also protect against menopausal symptoms. According to Kansas State University, wheat bran lignans may slow the spread of cancerous tumors in the body.
When it comes to Gluten:
Rice is a preference for those who are following the gluten-free diet while wheat does contain gluten. Gluten is a protein that causes inflammation of the small intestine in people who have celiac disease or those allergic to wheat. Those can rely on rice flour if wheat flour does not suit them.
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