Are brown rice and mixed grains better for you than white rice? How to cook them, and what to watch for

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The answerBrown rice and mixed grains contain more dietary fibre, B vitamins and minerals than white rice, and raise blood sugar more gently after a meal (cooked brown rice has about 4–5 times the fibre of cooked white rice). There are four conditions, though: 1) soak brown rice for at least 6 hours and cook it on the rice cooker's brown-rice setting or in a pressure cooker; 2) chew well (it is harder to digest, so start small if your stomach is sensitive); 3) brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice, so reduce it by soaking and changing the rinsing water, and do not eat it to the exclusion of everything else; 4) the oil in the germ oxidises, so refrigerate brown rice and use it up quickly. Rather than switching entirely to brown rice at once, mixing 10–20% grains or barley into white rice is generally described as the easier habit to keep up in Japan.

Convenience-store onigiri now come in "mochi-mugi" (barley) and "zakkoku" (mixed-grain) versions, and brown rice (genmai, 玄米) is an established part of Japanese eating. The image of being "healthier than white rice" is broadly right, but there are things to know: it is cooked differently, it is harder to digest, and it contains more arsenic.

White rice, brown rice and mixed grains compared (per 100 g cooked rice, approximate)

Item	White rice	Brown rice	Mixed with mochi-mugi (pressed barley)	Mixed with zakkoku
Dietary fibre	about 0.3 g	about 1.4 g	at 20% barley, about 1.5–2 g	at 10% grains, about 0.8–1 g
Vitamin B1	about 0.02 mg	about 0.16 mg	—	—
Magnesium	about 7 mg	about 49 mg	—	—
Energy	about 156 kcal	about 152 kcal	roughly the same	roughly the same
GI (guide to blood-sugar rise)	high	slightly lower	low (beta-glucan)	slightly lower

Cooking and cautions

Type	Soaking	Water	Cooking
Brown rice (genmai)	At least 6 hours (in the fridge in summer). Soaking starts the germination process and makes the rice easier to digest, and some arsenic leaches out → discard the soaking water and cook in fresh water	1.2–1.5 times the amount for white rice	Brown-rice setting or pressure cooker. On the normal setting it comes out hard
Partially milled rice (bu-zuki-mai: 3, 5 or 7 bu)	1–2 hours	Slightly more than for white rice	Normal setting works. A realistic entry point to brown rice
Mochi-mugi, pressed barley (oshi-mugi)	Not needed	Add twice the volume of the barley in water	Mix 10–30% into white rice, normal setting
Mixed-grain blends (zakkoku mix)	Not needed (follow the label)	Add as the label says	Mix 10–20% into white rice, normal setting

On arsenic: rice readily takes up arsenic from the soil, and because it concentrates in the bran layer, brown rice contains about 1.5–2 times as much as white rice. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) states that "there is no health concern in the normal Japanese diet", while explaining that rinsing thoroughly, soaking and cooking in plenty of water reduce it. Avoid the extreme of brown rice only, in large amounts, at every meal; for small children, white or partially milled rice is the safer choice.
Digestion: the outer bran layer of brown rice is hard to digest, and people with sensitive stomachs, older people and small children may get diarrhoea or bloating. Chew well (30 times a mouthful), start small, and if it does not agree with you, move to partially milled rice or a grain mix.
Storage: the oil in the germ oxidises easily, so in some respects brown rice deteriorates faster than milled white rice. Airtight container in the fridge, within 1 month. Cooked brown rice freezes well.
Allergen labelling: some zakkoku blends contain wheat, barley or buckwheat; if you have allergies, check the ingredients.
Beta-glucan in mochi-mugi: a soluble fibre; several studies find it improves markers of post-meal blood sugar and cholesterol. In Japan some products are registered as "Foods with Function Claims" (kinōsei hyōji shokuhin, a notified health-claim category).

[Verify] Check the nutrient figures against the relevant entries in the "Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2020 (Eighth Revised Edition)", and the arsenic statements against the MAFF page "Arsenic in food".

Misunderstanding 1｜Switch to brown rice and you will be far healthier than on white

You get more fibre and vitamins, but if the way you eat it does not suit you, it burdens the digestive system. Mixing it into white rice gives a worthwhile benefit too.

Misunderstanding 2｜Brown rice cooks just like white rice

It needs at least 6 hours' soaking and the brown-rice setting or a pressure cooker. Cooked the ordinary way it is hard and harder to digest.

Misunderstanding 3｜Brown rice cleanses the body of toxins

There is no basis for this claim. If anything, brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice, so what matters is soaking, rinsing and not eating it to the exclusion of everything else.

Misunderstanding 4｜Mixed-grain rice is safe for everyone

Some products contain wheat, barley or buckwheat, so anyone with allergies must check the ingredients. Small children and people with sensitive stomachs should start small.

Misunderstanding 5｜Brown rice keeps well

Because the oil in the germ oxidises, in some respects it deteriorates faster than white rice. Refrigerate, airtight, within 1 month.

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Sources

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, "Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2020 (Eighth Revised Edition)" [日本食品標準成分表2020年版（八訂）] (cereals: rice)

https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/syokuhinseibun/mext_01110.html

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Information on arsenic in food: arsenic in rice" [食品中のヒ素に関する情報：お米に含まれるヒ素]

https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/nouan/kome/k_as/

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare e-Health Net, "Why dietary fibre matters for health" [食物繊維の必要性と健康]

https://www.e-healthnet.mhlw.go.jp/information/food/e-05-001.html

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.

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Are brown rice and mixed grains better for you than white rice? How to cook them, and what to watch for

White rice, brown rice and mixed grains compared (per 100 g cooked rice, approximate)

Cooking and cautions

Misunderstanding 1｜Switch to brown rice and you will be far healthier than on white

Misunderstanding 2｜Brown rice cooks just like white rice

Misunderstanding 3｜Brown rice cleanses the body of toxins

Misunderstanding 4｜Mixed-grain rice is safe for everyone

Misunderstanding 5｜Brown rice keeps well

Sources

About this article

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