What's so bad about white refined flour and white rice again?
tldbs3341
Posts: 24 Member
Hi I've just got a queeries here....
I've always heard that white rice/bread and white refined flour isn't good for our health but why is that? I know that brown rice and wholegrain flour obviously has much more nutrients, fibre and etc, which is great, but if I eat the same amount of white rice as I would for brown rice, will it cause weight gain?
I've always heard that white rice/bread and white refined flour isn't good for our health but why is that? I know that brown rice and wholegrain flour obviously has much more nutrients, fibre and etc, which is great, but if I eat the same amount of white rice as I would for brown rice, will it cause weight gain?
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Replies
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No.
Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain5 -
Eating too many calories causes weight gain - no matter what those calories are made of.3
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There's actually very little difference in the nutrient content as well.
Below you can see a comparison of Lundberg Brand rice with Brown rice on the left and white on the right. If you take a look you can see that there is very little difference between the nutritional facts of the two. 10 more calories per 45 grams in the white, one gram less fat per 45 grams in the white, one gram more carbs in the white, one less gram of protein and a slight bit more vit c and less iron in the white.
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My very limited understanding is... Refined carbs (flours, white rice, etc) have been processed to remove the outer bran of the grain. Therefore, it is less nutritious. Also, because it is refined, it is easier for the body to digest, which means it can cause the blood sugar to rise and fall more rapidly than unrefined carbs. When blood sugar rises, your body will produce insulin. Unfortunately, insulin is a "fat storage hormone", meaning while there is more insulin circulating in your blood, your body is more likely to convert carbs into fat to be stored (weight gain).4
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Hi I've just got a queeries here....
I've always heard that white rice/bread and white refined flour isn't good for our health but why is that? I know that brown rice and wholegrain flour obviously has much more nutrients, fibre and etc, which is great, but if I eat the same amount of white rice as I would for brown rice, will it cause weight gain?
No. Just track your cals and you'll be fine.1 -
It's only an issue if you have hypoglycemia or diabetes, pretty much. And they're not very filling for the calories for some people (I'm one of them sadly).3
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Well, they are pretty much empty calories. Meaning, nothing nutritional about them. Great for adding calories if you need to gain weight, not so much if you want to lose weight. I prefer to make my calories count.2
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Well, they are pretty much empty calories. Meaning, nothing nutritional about them. Great for adding calories if you need to gain weight, not so much if you want to lose weight. I prefer to make my calories count.
What?!?
Rice keeps me full for hours, major staple in my life and I lose weight just fine.4 -
They enjoy white privilege.13
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Well, they are pretty much empty calories. Meaning, nothing nutritional about them. Great for adding calories if you need to gain weight, not so much if you want to lose weight. I prefer to make my calories count.
I just read the nutrition labels above and they don't look empty to me.6 -
With rice, people don't say that white is bad, just that brown is better. You get more goodness from brown rice, that kind of thing. I've never seen anyone say that white rice is actually harmful.
With flour, depending on where you live, there can be actual problems. In America, we haven't outlawed bleaching flour and the bleached flour isn't good for you. You won't keel over dead, but try to buy unbleached flour when you can unless you're making cakes. Unbleached cake flour will cause a cake to sink almost every time, so it's not worth using for that purpose.
Both bleached and unbleached flours are available in the typical grocery store.0 -
With rice, people don't say that white is bad, just that brown is better. You get more goodness from brown rice, that kind of thing. I've never seen anyone say that white rice is actually harmful.
With flour, depending on where you live, there can be actual problems. In America, we haven't outlawed bleaching flour and the bleached flour isn't good for you. You won't keel over dead, but try to buy unbleached flour when you can unless you're making cakes. Unbleached cake flour will cause a cake to sink almost every time, so it's not worth using for that purpose.
Both bleached and unbleached flours are available in the typical grocery store.
There's enough people saying white ANYTHING is automatically bad. And that's not a joke about social justice warriors.3 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »Well, they are pretty much empty calories. Meaning, nothing nutritional about them. Great for adding calories if you need to gain weight, not so much if you want to lose weight. I prefer to make my calories count.
I just read the nutrition labels above and they don't look empty to me.
Eh nutrient-wise (meaning vitamins and stuff) it's actually pretty sad, lol.
But oh man I wish rice filled me up, I love the stuff.0 -
Having more fiber is important in general - most people don't eat enough.
In my body, whole grains seem to digest more slowly without a sugar spike, making me feel full longer.
I've always eaten whole grains and like them. Not sure why you wouldn't eat them, unless it's a fancy cake or something?3 -
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Having more fiber is important in general - most people don't eat enough.
In my body, whole grains seem to digest more slowly without a sugar spike, making me feel full longer.
I've always eaten whole grains and like them. Not sure why you wouldn't eat them, unless it's a fancy cake or something?
I think the point is that white products don't have much fiber. My experience is the same as yours regarding whole grains though - definitely keeps me full longer.1 -
The main issue with refine flours and white rice is their high glycemic index. They aren't bad for you, but your blood sugar will go higher faster when you eat them by themselves. This means that for diabetic folks, they will have to be careful and do some excersise or eat some protein with them to slow down the impact.
I know this because when my wife was pregnant with our second, she was almost gestationally diabetic, so we learned a lot about blood sugar because she was able to test herself throughout the day. My wife found that a slice of bread or some white rice be overcome by immediate exercise.
This article is good http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/healthy-living-resources/diet-nutrition/the-glycemic-index
and so is this one http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/use-glycemic-index-to-help-control-blood-sugar-201208135154
The second article claims that foods with a low glycemic index can help maintain weight loss.
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The issue is that a 50lbs bag of white rice isn't cheap.
The nutritional value of white/not white products is minor. Just don't over consume and you'll be fine.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Yeah, everyone here is saying pretty much the same thing in different ways. White flour etc are not bad for you. They're just not as filling and whole grains will keep you going for longer, so if you can swap wholegrain for white it will make your eating goals easier to stick to. Also, wholegrain products have some extra nutrients which are good for your overall health.
Personally I use whole grains in some cases but not others. I eat whole grain cereals as the white ones don't fill me up at all, whole grain bread for the same reason and because I generally prefer it ( apart from buttered toast!) but I don't like whole grain pasta at all so i use white. I generally use white rice as it suits most dishes better, but will sometimes use brown if it goes well with what I'm cooking.
What is filling and what isn't is individual, so don't be worried by the disagreements here - explore what fills you up and eat accordingly.2 -
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The issue is that a 50lbs bag of white rice isn't cheap.
The nutritional value of white/not white products is minor. Just don't over consume and you'll be fine.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
If you get them at an Asian store they're typically no more than like 25-30 dollars.
At less than 20 cents a cup cooked, I'd say it's an effective way to feed a family for cheap. Which most Asians do anyway. Not trying to stereotype, just speaking from experience.
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