Oatmeal

[tropo]

I think you are right about the quick oats and the rolled oats. When I looked at the quick oats they looked like they were just chopped up rolled oats therefore quicker to cook because smaller and less dense.

The nutrition might be the same but I prefer the slow cooked rolled oats as they just seem creamier in texture and nicer on the palate. I soak the rolled oats overnight for better absorption and digestion.

Read this about soaking oats.

this is the website where i copied and pasted my information)

http://www.highonhealth.org/why-its-very-important-to-soak-oats-before-you-eat-them/

A friend of mine recently had a blood test for mineral deficiency, and it turns out that shes deficient in vitamin b12. This surprised me because she has an incredibly healthy diet. But what the naturopath told her completely took me by surprise. She was told that the oatmeal she was eating each morning was possibly blocking the production of Vitamin b12 in her body!

You must soak oats for several hours before you eat them

Its really, really important to soak your oats for several hours before you eat them, whether or not you end up cooking them. Somehow this knowledge of having to soak oats got lost about the same time fast food came in. I guess we all just got a bit lazy and we didnt understand why we were soaking them in the first place.

Ever since people first started eating oats, they either soaked or fermented them first. And when oats were first packaged and sold in grocery stores, there were even soaking instructions on the box. You never see that anymore.

Why oats need to be soaked

Heres an extract from Nourishing Traditions which explains the reason why oats need to be soaked better than I could -

All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects. Soaking allows enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.

I see a lot of conversation in acne forums about grains and how grains can make the skin a lot worse. It kind of makes a lot of sense to me now. A diet high in unsoaked or unfermentated grains can in fact lead to mineral deficiency and irritable bowel syndrome so its no wonder that our skin is better once we stop eating them. And lets be realistic who here soaks and ferments all their grains? Not me.

Interestingly, the Body Ecology Diet only allows for a small number of grains, and recommends soaking the grains before eating or cooking them. And since that book is all about cleaning out the colon and improving the digestive system, it just proves again how important it is to soak grains, or at least your oats before you eat them.

So from now on, Im going to soak my oats in water each night before I go to bed!

There's just too many people coming out with outrageous claims and stating opinions as though they are undisputed facts, without any science to back it up.

I turn off when I read stuff like this.

I cook my oats slowly. Whole grain for 10 minutes and steel cut for 20 minutes - simmering on a low heat.

My bowels have never worked better, but that's thanks to kefir consumption. I would suggest that lack of fermented food that provides billions of friendly bacteria is the cause of bowel disturbances rather than consumption of un-soaked oats.

... but what do I know. There's so many theories floating around out there it will give you a headache if you decide to follow all the advice. It's amazing that anyone makes it past 50.

[chiang mai]

Unfortunately there isn't a one size fits all solution, variants work differently for each of us. Bottom line is that if something works for you, stay with it.

[Tolley]

I think you are right about the quick oats and the rolled oats. When I looked at the quick oats they looked like they were just chopped up rolled oats therefore quicker to cook because smaller and less dense.

The nutrition might be the same but I prefer the slow cooked rolled oats as they just seem creamier in texture and nicer on the palate. I soak the rolled oats overnight for better absorption and digestion.

Read this about soaking oats.

this is the website where i copied and pasted my information)

http://www.highonhealth.org/why-its-very-important-to-soak-oats-before-you-eat-them/

A friend of mine recently had a blood test for mineral deficiency, and it turns out that shes deficient in vitamin b12. This surprised me because she has an incredibly healthy diet. But what the naturopath told her completely took me by surprise. She was told that the oatmeal she was eating each morning was possibly blocking the production of Vitamin b12 in her body!

You must soak oats for several hours before you eat them

Its really, really important to soak your oats for several hours before you eat them, whether or not you end up cooking them. Somehow this knowledge of having to soak oats got lost about the same time fast food came in. I guess we all just got a bit lazy and we didnt understand why we were soaking them in the first place.

Ever since people first started eating oats, they either soaked or fermented them first. And when oats were first packaged and sold in grocery stores, there were even soaking instructions on the box. You never see that anymore.

Why oats need to be soaked

Heres an extract from Nourishing Traditions which explains the reason why oats need to be soaked better than I could -

All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects. Soaking allows enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.

I see a lot of conversation in acne forums about grains and how grains can make the skin a lot worse. It kind of makes a lot of sense to me now. A diet high in unsoaked or unfermentated grains can in fact lead to mineral deficiency and irritable bowel syndrome so its no wonder that our skin is better once we stop eating them. And lets be realistic who here soaks and ferments all their grains? Not me.

Interestingly, the Body Ecology Diet only allows for a small number of grains, and recommends soaking the grains before eating or cooking them. And since that book is all about cleaning out the colon and improving the digestive system, it just proves again how important it is to soak grains, or at least your oats before you eat them.

So from now on, Im going to soak my oats in water each night before I go to bed!

There's just too many people coming out with outrageous claims and stating opinions as though they are undisputed facts, without any science to back it up.

I turn off when I read stuff like this.

I cook my oats slowly. Whole grain for 10 minutes and steel cut for 20 minutes - simmering on a low heat.

My bowels have never worked better, but that's thanks to kefir consumption. I would suggest that lack of fermented food that provides billions of friendly bacteria is the cause of bowel disturbances rather than consumption of un-soaked oats.

... but what do I know. There's so many theories floating around out there it will give you a headache if you decide to follow all the advice. It's amazing that anyone makes it past 50.

It makes perfect sense to soak your grains. What do you think you are doing with your kefir anyway?

You are just going one step further than the soaking by taking it to the fermentation phase.

Brown rice and oats should always be soaked for maximum benefit.

[tropo]

It makes perfect sense to soak your grains. What do you think you are doing with your kefir anyway?

You are just going one step further than the soaking by taking it to the fermentation phase.

Brown rice and oats should always be soaked for maximum benefit.

I have no interest in eating fermented oats. Perhaps if you're not experiencing the amazing benefits of kefir you need all the help you can get from other foods.

Edited August 14, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

It makes perfect sense to soak your grains. What do you think you are doing with your kefir anyway?

You are just going one step further than the soaking by taking it to the fermentation phase.

Brown rice and oats should always be soaked for maximum benefit.

I have no interest in eating fermented oats. Perhaps if you're not experiencing the amazing benefits of kefir you need all the help you can get from other foods.

The point I am making Is that it is the same science that you are using with your kefir.

Just because you have never heard of soaking oats or rice for better absorption and digestion doesn't mean it isn't so.

It makes perfect sense.

In fact if you let oats or rice get to the fermented stage you would have a similar powerful probiotic drink as your kefir called rejevelac.

[tropo]

It makes perfect sense to soak your grains. What do you think you are doing with your kefir anyway?

You are just going one step further than the soaking by taking it to the fermentation phase.

Brown rice and oats should always be soaked for maximum benefit.

I have no interest in eating fermented oats. Perhaps if you're not experiencing the amazing benefits of kefir you need all the help you can get from other foods.

The point I am making Is that it is the same science that you are using with your kefir.

Just because you have never heard of soaking oats or rice for better absorption and digestion doesn't mean it isn't so.

It makes perfect sense.

In fact if you let oats or rice get to the fermented stage you would have a similar powerful probiotic drink as your kefir called rejevelac.

Do you drink kefir yourself? I get the feeling from your posts that you don't. I don't believe there's anything that comes close to its benefits and there's nothing easier to prepare.

Regarding brown rice. Are you award that your mate Dr Mercola is now recommending white rice over brown rice?

Edited August 14, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

It makes perfect sense to soak your grains. What do you think you are doing with your kefir anyway?

You are just going one step further than the soaking by taking it to the fermentation phase.

Brown rice and oats should always be soaked for maximum benefit.

I have no interest in eating fermented oats. Perhaps if you're not experiencing the amazing benefits of kefir you need all the help you can get from other foods.

The point I am making Is that it is the same science that you are using with your kefir.

Just because you have never heard of soaking oats or rice for better absorption and digestion doesn't mean it isn't so.

It makes perfect sense.

In fact if you let oats or rice get to the fermented stage you would have a similar powerful probiotic drink as your kefir called rejevelac.

Do you drink kefir yourself? I get the feeling from your posts that you don't. I don't believe there's anything that comes close to its benefits and there's nothing easier to prepare.

Regarding brown rice. Are you award that your mate Dr Mercola is now recommending white rice over brown rice?

No I don't take kefir although I do believe in its benefits. You can do the same with any grain and get a strong probiotic drink. I am bit lazy I should make my own.

I take inner health probiotics everyday. I also eat tempeh which is a prebiotic.

Since when was Mercola my mate?

Do you think I necessarily agree with everything he says?

I eat brown rice every day. I love it and my body does too.

Back on the subject of oats. If I don't soak them I tend to get a bit of gas and when I do soak them I don't so there you go. Plenty of people don't soak them but for maximum nutritional benefit I think you are better off soaking them.

[tropo]

No I don't take kefir although I do believe in its benefits. You can do the same with any grain and get a strong probiotic drink. I am bit lazy I should make my own.

I take inner health probiotics everyday. I also eat tempeh which is a prebiotic.

Since when was Mercola my mate?

Do you think I necessarily agree with everything he says?

I eat brown rice every day. I love it and my body does too.

Back on the subject of oats. If I don't soak them I tend to get a bit of gas and when I do soak them I don't so there you go. Plenty of people don't soak them but for maximum nutritional benefit I think you are better off soaking them.

You should consider kefir as it's extremely easy to make and you can make week's worth in one day if you have sufficient kefir grains. Ease of preparation goes a long way to ensure you keep it up... and there's nothing easier to take - just down the hatch everyday and you can be assured of a healthy gut, My gut has never worked this well in my whole life.

I don't have any gut disturbances from slow cooked, unsoaked oats... no matter how large the bowl. That could mean that my gut is working very well. Perhaps the soaking is necessary when people's guts are not working properly. There's no clear answers about this so we can just speculate. Do oats disturb the gut or does an unhealthy gut dislike unsoaked oats?

I know Dr Mercola is not your personal friend - but I thought you appreciated his input on health matters...

He drew my attention in some recent articles where he is suggesting white rice is better than brown. He's not a proponent of eating grains in general, but suggests if you want to eat rice, then eat white rice as the better option.

... and talking about steel cut oats. I scored a single packet this evening at Villa Market. They're not cheap at 179 baht per pack, but they're worth it to me..

Edited August 14, 2013 by tropo

[Tolley]

No I don't take kefir although I do believe in its benefits. You can do the same with any grain and get a strong probiotic drink. I am bit lazy I should make my own.

I take inner health probiotics everyday. I also eat tempeh which is a prebiotic.

Since when was Mercola my mate?

Do you think I necessarily agree with everything he says?

I eat brown rice every day. I love it and my body does too.

Back on the subject of oats. If I don't soak them I tend to get a bit of gas and when I do soak them I don't so there you go. Plenty of people don't soak them but for maximum nutritional benefit I think you are better off soaking them.

You should consider kefir as it's extremely easy to make and you can make week's worth in one day if you have sufficient kefir grains. Ease of preparation goes a long way to ensure you keep it up... and there's nothing easier to take - just down the hatch everyday and you can be assured of a healthy gut, My gut has never worked this well in my whole life.

I don't have any gut disturbances from slow cooked, unsoaked oats... no matter how large the bowl. That could mean that my gut is working very well. Perhaps the soaking is necessary when people's guts are not working properly. There's no clear answers about this so we can just speculate. Do oats disturb the gut or does an unhealthy gut dislike unsoaked oats?

I know Dr Mercola is not your personal friend - but I thought you appreciated his input on health matters...

He drew my attention in some recent articles where he is suggesting white rice is better than brown. He's not a proponent of eating grains in general, but suggests if you want to eat rice, then eat white rice as the better option.

... and talking about steel cut oats. I scored a single packet this evening at Villa Market. They're not cheap at 179 baht per pack, but they're worth it to me..

I had a look at the article on Mercola's website.

It wasnt actually him who was recommending white rice over brown rice it was someone else. Their reason was that there was more toxins in brown rice than white rice and that you already get enough toxins in the vegetables you eat.

I think the benefits of brown rice both nutrition wise, and of course for inner health outweigh this toxin argument which I have never heard before. I think they also mentioned white rice being easier to digest but that is probably because they didnt soak their brown rice!

I tried to get some kefir awhile back but couldnt source any so i stuck with the inner health capsules which work fine for me although they are a bit exxy.

[tropo]

I had a look at the article on Mercola's website.

It wasnt actually him who was recommending white rice over brown rice it was someone else. Their reason was that there was more toxins in brown rice than white rice and that you already get enough toxins in the vegetables you eat.

I think the benefits of brown rice both nutrition wise, and of course for inner health outweigh this toxin argument which I have never heard before. I think they also mentioned white rice being easier to digest but that is probably because they didnt soak their brown rice!

I tried to get some kefir awhile back but couldnt source any so i stuck with the inner health capsules which work fine for me although they are a bit exxy.

That's what Mercola does - promote other people's ideas which he decides have value. There's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't state that the "theories" are his.

I seriously doubt you're getting even a fraction of the benefit of kefir in a capsule. How could you begin to compare a few grams of capsule to a full glass of healthy bacteria.... and cost wise - a week's supply of kefir would cost about 100 baht and take at the most 10 minutes to prepare.

If you look at a nutrition chart to compare white and brown rice, the difference is negligible. Most people who eat brown rice have made the choice based on fiber.

This is interesting: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/

[Tolley]

I had a look at the article on Mercola's website.

It wasnt actually him who was recommending white rice over brown rice it was someone else. Their reason was that there was more toxins in brown rice than white rice and that you already get enough toxins in the vegetables you eat.

I think the benefits of brown rice both nutrition wise, and of course for inner health outweigh this toxin argument which I have never heard before. I think they also mentioned white rice being easier to digest but that is probably because they didnt soak their brown rice!

I tried to get some kefir awhile back but couldnt source any so i stuck with the inner health capsules which work fine for me although they are a bit exxy.

That's what Mercola does - promote other people's ideas which he decides have value. There's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't state that the "theories" are his.

I seriously doubt you're getting even a fraction of the benefit of kefir in a capsule. How could you begin to compare a few grams of capsule to a full glass of healthy bacteria.... and cost wise - a week's supply of kefir would cost about 100 baht and take at the most 10 minutes to prepare.

If you look at a nutrition chart to compare white and brown rice, the difference is negligible. Most people who eat brown rice have made the choice based on fiber.

This is interesting: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/

I read that one before but I question whether they soaked their rice. If you dont soak brown rice it doesnt taste that good and tends to be a bit hard and therefor difficult to digest.

We have been over this brown rice vs white rice argument before but take a look at this as it basically sums up why brown rice is far nutritionally superior to white rice. Also great for colon health, cholesterol levels, weight control,metabolic syndrome, type 11 diabetes etc

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

Here is a small extract

The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.

[tropo]

I had a look at the article on Mercola's website.

It wasnt actually him who was recommending white rice over brown rice it was someone else. Their reason was that there was more toxins in brown rice than white rice and that you already get enough toxins in the vegetables you eat.

I think the benefits of brown rice both nutrition wise, and of course for inner health outweigh this toxin argument which I have never heard before. I think they also mentioned white rice being easier to digest but that is probably because they didnt soak their brown rice!

I tried to get some kefir awhile back but couldnt source any so i stuck with the inner health capsules which work fine for me although they are a bit exxy.

That's what Mercola does - promote other people's ideas which he decides have value. There's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't state that the "theories" are his.

I seriously doubt you're getting even a fraction of the benefit of kefir in a capsule. How could you begin to compare a few grams of capsule to a full glass of healthy bacteria.... and cost wise - a week's supply of kefir would cost about 100 baht and take at the most 10 minutes to prepare.

If you look at a nutrition chart to compare white and brown rice, the difference is negligible. Most people who eat brown rice have made the choice based on fiber.

This is interesting: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/

I read that one before but I question whether they soaked their rice. If you dont soak brown rice it doesnt taste that good and tends to be a bit hard and therefor difficult to digest.

We have been over this brown rice vs white rice argument before but take a look at this as it basically sums up why brown rice is far nutritionally superior to white rice. Also great for colon health, cholesterol levels, weight control,metabolic syndrome, type 11 diabetes etc

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

Here is a small extract

The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.

People love to use these percentage figures to dramatize the situation. In fact, a 68% or 80% decrease from trace amounts is hardly worth mentioning.

Let's put this into perspective.

This website has very detailed analyses of many different types of rice.

Let's compare:

1. Long grain cooked brown rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5707/2

with...

2. Long grain cooked white rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5712/2

(Important: I am not comparing enriched rice)

We'll compare the nutrients mentioned in your post above:

I'll make adjustments for weight as the brown rice is 195 g/cup and the white rice is 158 g/cup. I will reduce the brown rice nutrients by 19% to give an exact equivalent.

1. B3 (Niacin): B (brown rice) = 2.43 mg

W (white rice) = 2.30 mg

(this disproves your statement above that 68% of B3 is destroyed. It is nearly equal)

2. B1 (Thiamine): B = 0.162 mg

W - 0,30 mg

(white rice has nearly double the B1 content, contradicting your statement above that 80% is destroyed)

3. B6 (Riboflavin): B = 0.0 mg

W = 0.0 mg

(There is a trace amount, so perhaps white rice has 90% less B6 than the trace amount in brown rice - but the amount is so small it's totally irrelevant as the amount is less than 0.0 mg)

4. Manganese: B = 1.46 mg

W = 0.7 mg

(You were correct here, but we're talking about 0.7 mg of manganese in a cup of rice. This is a good example where using percentages is misleading as neither of them have an appreciable amount of manganese)

5. Phosphorus: B = 131 mg

W = 68 mg

6. Iron: B = 0.65 mg

W = 1.90 mg

(White rice has nearly 3 times the iron of brown rice)

7. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: B = 22.11 mg

W = 20.50 mg

8. Omega 6 Fatty Acids: B = 488 mg

W = 98 mg

(nearly the same Omega 3 but 1/5 of the omega 6, but hardly ALL as suggested in your statement above. In fact Omega 6 is not as critical a nutrient as Omega 3 and in oversupply in many diets)

Let's continue with some other nutrients not mentioned in your statement:

9. Calcium: identical in both.

10. Magnesium: B = 68 mg, W = 19 mg

11. Potassium: B = 68 mg, W = 55.3 mg

12. Selenium nearly the same. Same with copper and zinc.

Apart from fiber, if that is what you need, there's no convincing reason nutrient wise to eat brown rice over white rice other than if you enjoy it more.

Personally, I love brown rice. I never soak it and find the taste is fine and have no problems digesting it. In the end it may come down to the health of the individual's digestive tract.

For example, just because some people cannot tolerate lactose, are we to condemn milk. Same with oats and brown rice, just because some people have problems digesting them does it mean it's bad for everyone else and it should always be soaked?

Another good example is raw onions. Some people thrive on them whereas others cannot tolerate them at all.

Edited August 15, 2013 by tropo

[poanoi]

I eat brown rice and un-kooked un-soaked oats for the bite.

I like the oats in a red pack at foodland, they are more to chew on.

Edited August 15, 2013 by poanoi

[tropo]

I eat brown rice and un-kooked un-soaked oats for the bite.

I like the oats in a red pack at foodland, they are more to chew on.

That's exactly why I prefer brown rice unsoaked and steel cut oats - I like to have some bite to them. I don't like mushy rice or oats.

[Taggart]

I eat oats in various ways for breakfast.

1/3 cup of raw rolled oats mixed in a bowl with other whole grain breakfast cereals (usually wheat)..

Steel cut oats cooked on the stovetop in either water or banana milk.

2/3 cup of rolled oats, one tbsp of cinnamon, a tbsp of ground flax or whole chia seeds, along with a tbsp of either raisins, currants or dried cranberries all mixed together with 2/3 cup of unsweetened soy drink. Leave overnight in the refrigerator. Served cold in the morning, topped with some berries.

About once a week, I cook some rolled oats pancakes. Delicious as well.

[Tolley]

I had a look at the article on Mercola's website.

It wasnt actually him who was recommending white rice over brown rice it was someone else. Their reason was that there was more toxins in brown rice than white rice and that you already get enough toxins in the vegetables you eat.

I think the benefits of brown rice both nutrition wise, and of course for inner health outweigh this toxin argument which I have never heard before. I think they also mentioned white rice being easier to digest but that is probably because they didnt soak their brown rice!

I tried to get some kefir awhile back but couldnt source any so i stuck with the inner health capsules which work fine for me although they are a bit exxy.

That's what Mercola does - promote other people's ideas which he decides have value. There's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't state that the "theories" are his.

I seriously doubt you're getting even a fraction of the benefit of kefir in a capsule. How could you begin to compare a few grams of capsule to a full glass of healthy bacteria.... and cost wise - a week's supply of kefir would cost about 100 baht and take at the most 10 minutes to prepare.

If you look at a nutrition chart to compare white and brown rice, the difference is negligible. Most people who eat brown rice have made the choice based on fiber.

This is interesting: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/

I read that one before but I question whether they soaked their rice. If you dont soak brown rice it doesnt taste that good and tends to be a bit hard and therefor difficult to digest.

We have been over this brown rice vs white rice argument before but take a look at this as it basically sums up why brown rice is far nutritionally superior to white rice. Also great for colon health, cholesterol levels, weight control,metabolic syndrome, type 11 diabetes etc

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

Here is a small extract

The process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.

People love to use these percentage figures to dramatize the situation. In fact, a 68% or 80% decrease from trace amounts is hardly worth mentioning.

Let's put this into perspective.

This website has very detailed analyses of many different types of rice.

Let's compare:

1. Long grain cooked brown rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5707/2

with...

2. Long grain cooked white rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5712/2

(Important: I am not comparing enriched rice)

We'll compare the nutrients mentioned in your post above:

I'll make adjustments for weight as the brown rice is 195 g/cup and the white rice is 158 g/cup. I will reduce the brown rice nutrients by 19% to give an exact equivalent.

1. B3 (Niacin): B (brown rice) = 2.43 mg

W (white rice) = 2.30 mg

(this disproves your statement above that 68% of B3 is destroyed. It is nearly equal)

2. B1 (Thiamine): B = 0.162 mg

W - 0,30 mg

(white rice has nearly double the B1 content, contradicting your statement above that 80% is destroyed)

3. B6 (Riboflavin): B = 0.0 mg

W = 0.0 mg

(There is a trace amount, so perhaps white rice has 90% less B6 than the trace amount in brown rice - but the amount is so small it's totally irrelevant as the amount is less than 0.0 mg)

4. Manganese: B = 1.46 mg

W = 0.7 mg

(You were correct here, but we're talking about 0.7 mg of manganese in a cup of rice. This is a good example where using percentages is misleading as neither of them have an appreciable amount of manganese)

5. Phosphorus: B = 131 mg

W = 68 mg

6. Iron: B = 0.65 mg

W = 1.90 mg

(White rice has nearly 3 times the iron of brown rice)

7. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: B = 22.11 mg

W = 20.50 mg

8. Omega 6 Fatty Acids: B = 488 mg

W = 98 mg

(nearly the same Omega 3 but 1/5 of the omega 6, but hardly ALL as suggested in your statement above. In fact Omega 6 is not as critical a nutrient as Omega 3 and in oversupply in many diets)

Let's continue with some other nutrients not mentioned in your statement:

9. Calcium: identical in both.

10. Magnesium: B = 68 mg, W = 19 mg

11. Potassium: B = 68 mg, W = 55.3 mg

12. Selenium nearly the same. Same with copper and zinc.

Apart from fiber, if that is what you need, there's no convincing reason nutrient wise to eat brown rice over white rice other than if you enjoy it more.

Personally, I love brown rice. I never soak it and find the taste is fine and have no problems digesting it. In the end it may come down to the health of the individual's digestive tract.

For example, just because some people cannot tolerate lactose, are we to condemn milk. Same with oats and brown rice, just because some people have problems digesting them does it mean it's bad for everyone else and it should always be soaked?

Another good example is raw onions. Some people thrive on them whereas others cannot tolerate them at all.

Your data doesn't show that only brown rice has vitamin E and most of the data you showed still supports brown rice over white rice nutritionally.

Most of the research supports brown rice choice over white rice not just nutritionally but for many other health benefits as well.

I eat white rice when I go out as I have no choice but I always cook brown rice at home and my body responds much better to brown rice.

Brown rice has a probiotic effect on the intestinal tract as well and research indicates that it is very good for bowel and colon health so more reasons to go for brown rather than white.

As for the soaking issue i use long grain brown rice and i find if you soak the rice it is sort of crispy when you finished cooking as opposed to unsoaked where it is a little hard.

[tropo]

Your data doesn't show that only brown rice has vitamin E and most of the data you showed still supports brown rice over white rice nutritionally.

Most of the research supports brown rice choice over white rice not just nutritionally but for many other health benefits as well.

I eat white rice when I go out as I have no choice but I always cook brown rice at home and my body responds much better to brown rice.

Brown rice has a probiotic effect on the intestinal tract as well and research indicates that it is very good for bowel and colon health so more reasons to go for brown rather than white.

As for the soaking issue i use long grain brown rice and i find if you soak the rice it is sort of crispy when you finished cooking as opposed to unsoaked where it is a little hard.

You're totally wrong on just about every point you made:

1. "Your data doesn't show that only brown rice has vitamin E"

If you go and read the data presented on both types of rice you'll find that white rice has more vitamin E

Brown rice = 0.081 mg of Vitamin E. White rice = 0.1 mg (per 158 g cup).

But seriously, you're grasping at straws here. That's an extremely low level of Vitamin E in both.

2. "and most of the data you showed still supports brown rice over white rice nutritionally"

Come on now... that's an absurd comment and shows you didn't read any of the data I presented. All of the data I presented indicates that there is an extremely small difference nutritionally between the two. Some of it shows white rice superior, some the other way around.

3. "Most of the research supports brown rice choice over white rice not just nutritionally but for many other health benefits as well"

Wrong. Nearly all the data you presented was wrong regarding the nutritional content of brown rice vs white rice, "Many other" health benefits are merely theories based on anecdotal evidence, and supported by incorrect information as I showed in my post above.

4. Brown rice has a probiotic effect on the intestinal tract as well and research indicates that it is very good for bowel and colon health so more reasons to go for brown rather than white.

I'm discussing the difference between brown and white rice cooked in the usual way, not a fermented product. I don't know about fermented brown rice, but I would suggest that fermented white rice would be similar minus the extra fiber.

5. "As for the soaking issue i use long grain brown rice and i find if you soak the rice it is sort of crispy when you finished cooking as opposed to unsoaked where it is a little hard."

I never find brown rice "a little hard" when cooked unsoaked. It depends on the cooking process and how much water you use. You need to use nearly double the water you use when cooking white rice. You are not using enough water if it is hard when cooked. Try cooking it more slowly with more water. It works really well in a rice cooker.

[Tolley]

Your data doesn't show that only brown rice has vitamin E and most of the data you showed still supports brown rice over white rice nutritionally.

Most of the research supports brown rice choice over white rice not just nutritionally but for many other health benefits as well.

I eat white rice when I go out as I have no choice but I always cook brown rice at home and my body responds much better to brown rice.

Brown rice has a probiotic effect on the intestinal tract as well and research indicates that it is very good for bowel and colon health so more reasons to go for brown rather than white.

As for the soaking issue i use long grain brown rice and i find if you soak the rice it is sort of crispy when you finished cooking as opposed to unsoaked where it is a little hard.

You're totally wrong on just about every point you made:

1. "Your data doesn't show that only brown rice has vitamin E"

If you go and read the data presented on both types of rice you'll find that white rice has more vitamin E

Brown rice = 0.081 mg of Vitamin E. White rice = 0.1 mg (per 158 g cup).

But seriously, you're grasping at straws here. That's an extremely low level of Vitamin E in both.

2. "and most of the data you showed still supports brown rice over white rice nutritionally"

Come on now... that's an absurd comment and shows you didn't read any of the data I presented. All of the data I presented indicates that there is an extremely small difference nutritionally between the two. Some of it shows white rice superior, some the other way around.

3. "Most of the research supports brown rice choice over white rice not just nutritionally but for many other health benefits as well"

Wrong. Nearly all the data you presented was wrong regarding the nutritional content of brown rice vs white rice, "Many other" health benefits are merely theories based on anecdotal evidence, and supported by incorrect information as I showed in my post above.

4. Brown rice has a probiotic effect on the intestinal tract as well and research indicates that it is very good for bowel and colon health so more reasons to go for brown rather than white.

I'm discussing the difference between brown and white rice cooked in the usual way, not a fermented product. I don't know about fermented brown rice, but I would suggest that fermented white rice would be similar minus the extra fiber.

5. "As for the soaking issue i use long grain brown rice and i find if you soak the rice it is sort of crispy when you finished cooking as opposed to unsoaked where it is a little hard."

I never find brown rice "a little hard" when cooked unsoaked. It depends on the cooking process and how much water you use. You need to use nearly double the water you use when cooking white rice. You are not using enough water if it is hard when cooked. Try cooking it more slowly with more water. It works really well in a rice cooker.

I beg to differ.

Take a look at these links all stating that brown rice is superior not just nutritionally but for other researched health benefits.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/381241-nutritional-values-of-white-rice-vs-brown-rice/

And this very extensive chart sums it up. Please note the huge difference in vitamin E levels. magnesium, fibre and many others. In fact every mineral is much higher!

Please also see the source. Not sure where you got your information from?

source: USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.

http://www.rebeccablood.net/domestic/rice.html

Edited August 16, 2013 by Tolley

[tropo]

I beg to differ.

Take a look at these links all stating that brown rice is superior not just nutritionally but for other researched health benefits.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/381241-nutritional-values-of-white-rice-vs-brown-rice/

And this very extensive chart sums it up. Please note the huge difference in vitamin E levels. magnesium, fibre and many others. In fact every mineral is much higher!

Please also see the source. Not sure where you got your information from?

source: USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.

http://www.rebeccablood.net/domestic/rice.html

You’ve given me the link to the USDA site but made no effort to present the actual data by which to make the comparison. I’ve done your job for you and have taken a snap from the relevant USDA data on brown long grain cooked rice and white long grained cooked rice so we can see a direct comparison.

The source of the data in my earlier post above is the same as yours – the USDA. The figures I presented from the site I linked (Nutritiondata.self.com) are nearly exactly as presented by USDA with small differences in the number of decimal points shown.

Here is an explanation of the source of the data on that website:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/about

“Since its launch in 2003, Nutrition Data has grown into one of the most authoritative and useful sources of nutritional analysis on the Web. In July 2006, Nutrition Data was acquired by CondéNet, a digital publisher under the Condé Nast Publications umbrella dedicated to editorial excellence. Nutrition Data's continuing goal is to provide the most accurate and comprehensive nutrition analysis available, and to make it accessible and understandable to all.

The information in Nutrition Data's database comes from the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and is supplemented by listings provided by restaurants and food manufacturers. The source for each individual food item is listed in the footnotes of that food's Nutrition Facts page. In addition to food composition data, Nutrition Data also provides a variety of proprietary tools to analyze and interpret that data. These interpretations represent Nutrition Data's opinion and are based on calculations derived from Daily Reference Values (DRVs), Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs), published research, and recommendations of the FDA.

While Nutrition Data cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy of every listing, we make every attempt possible to ensure the quality of our data”

In actual fact the nutritional content data of food on Nutriondata.self.com is more comprehensive than what you will find on the USDA site. They are using USDA data AND additional data from other databases.

Check it again and see (assuming you had read it the first time):

1. Brown rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5707/2

2. White rice: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5712/2

Both the sites (USDA and Nutritiondata) use exactly the same measurements for a cup of brown rice (195 grams) and white rice (158 grams),which further confirms the source of information is the same. Don’t forget to subtract 19% from the brown rice data to make the comparison accurate.

Regarding your other 2 links:

A. http://www.rebeccablood.net/domestic/rice.html

This site claims their data is from the USDA database, but there are some glaring errors in the list compared to the USDA database. She also forgot to mention that brown rice is 195 g/cup and white rice is 158 g/cup, further skewing her comparison.

Her main errors:

1. Niacin reported as 0.632 mg for white rice. USDA database = 2.30 mg for white rice

2. Folate reported as 4.74 for white rice (didn’t bother to mention this is mcg and not mg). USDA database = 153 mcg.

3. Vitamin E reported as 0.421 mg for brown rice and 0.073 mg for white rice. According to the USDA database, there is 0.03 mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams of brown rice and 0.04 mg per 100 grams of white rice. As I correctly stated in my earlier post, white rice has more vitamin E. The difference is actually insignificant and not worth considering when sitting down to a plate of rice, but some sites like to use percentage comparisons in an attempt to make the differences seem huge.... so using that same licence here, you're getting a massive 35% more vitamin E if you eat white rice. Wow!!! It's actually only 0.01 mg more per 100 grams (or 0.0158 mg more per cup), but that's a massive 35% difference.

B. http://www.livestrong.com/article/381241-nutritional-values-of-white-rice-vs-brown-rice/

They are quoting for the most part USDA database values, but with a huge error on folate.

White rice has a lot more folate.

USDA: Folate DFE (dietary folate equivalents) per 100 grams of cooked rice:

Brown rice: 8 mcg

White rice: 94 mcg.

Also, they are nitpicking on Zinc, as the real difference is 0.63 mg per 100 g of brown rice to 0.49 mg per 100 g of white rice. The difference is insignificant.

Other than the higher level of magnesium in brown rice there wasn’t much point in referencing this article. We were already well aware of this difference from my original references, including the big difference in fiber, which most people are well aware of.

Edited August 16, 2013 by tropo