The Rice Wars

If you are new to the fight section, please read here for more info.

Fight Source: Bodybuilding.com Forums http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112341641

This fight started over a poster asking a question on whether or not eating White Rice during his cutting diet was going to affect his rate of fat loss. We see some usual responses of “eh, it doesn’t matter” to “Brown rice is better for you.”

Halfway down the page poster LarryBird (not to be confused with famed Celtics player) comments on the GI
status of the Brown Rice.

LarryBird: White rice has a higher GI, therefore it will spike your insulin level more than brown rice will. White rice gets absorbed to fast, and you will get hungry again sooner. Brown rice will give you more satiation.

This is a common thought about brown rice. Up until now most of you reading this thought much of the same or that it was important in this situation. A post by ‘In10city’ directs LarryBird to an article of Alan Aragon’s on the Validity of the Glycemixc Index. This article cites sources that debunk the validity of Larry’s claims.

LarryBird returns with:

LarryBird: As true as that might be, by itself it’s GI levels will spike insulin more. If the white rice is in a mixed meal then it will be ok.

Larry gets torn a new one by “Rhizome.”

Rhizome: Bullsh!t.

If I eat a spoonful of rice, is it going to “spike my insulin”? F*ck no!

Do you even know anything about insulin secretion?

LarryBird has a “brilliant” comeback with:

LarryBird:Food: Brown Rice (cooked)
Glycemic Index: 50
Glycemic Index Rating: Low

Food:White Rice (regular, cooked)
Glycemic Index: 69
Glycemic Index Rating: Medium

And you’re a douche bag because??????

Note: Notice the name calling as it brings up a yellowcard later for being a hypocrite.

Rhizome states that “it proves nothing.”

LarryBird:Unless you have a reason why, you have no room to talk. Saying something without providing any proof is foolish.

As far as I know, foods with higher GIs spike insulins level faster.

Also, the question was whether White rice is bad for you opposed to Brown rice. This is almost common sense. Brown rice has more complex carbs in it which will sustain satiation longer, and in addition, it has fiber.

Quit being a troll.

Proof was asked and is given by ‘In10city’ in the form of multiple abstracts posted up by Alan Aragon in an earlier thread discussing GI index. From these studies we learn basically what Alan discussed in his article that was posted up earlier.

Thinking that he is going to stick it to them now, LarryBird piles link after link of laymen article information (from hilarious sites and sources). He even closes it out with a cheerful…

LarryBird:

“Hai!

Bye.

Bro science, oh, fa sho.”

You can imagine that after this he went to celebrate his victory with a big heaping bowl of brown rice w/skinless chicken breast, licking the spoon for every last bit. He is DA MAN!

Alan Aragon arrives to the conversation. Aragon shows Larry that his sources are weak, and that he should look at real study sources that were listed for the information.

LarryBird responded with a lot of hot talk, but best was this:

LarryBird:These people must get their information from the LAY too. It’s a shame. EVERYONE that writes an article for a .com website must be retarded and NOT know their facts.

What a great statement.

Aragon states:

Alan Aragon: Bro, you should quit while you’re behind.

I will admit I think the peak of funny was referring to Anne Collins as a scientific source, but my 2nd favorite moment was this one.

LarryBird: Great job, you really didn’t tell me anything that science couldn’t tell me. All those arguments concluded said was that weight loss will happen if you’re in a deficit.

Now, I can say, your newbness is spectacular…

…. For those of us that want to get all the quality nutrients out of our food instead of ingesting large amounts of protein shakes a day to compensate for nutritional deficiencies due to lack of eating, then yes it does make a difference.

The OP asked which was healthier. White or Brown? Brown is healthier.

As a quick reminder, no that wasn’t the original posters (OP) question. His question was “Is eating brown rice over white really that big of deal when cutting?”

He then re-posts with:

LarryBird:

A.) I’m not your bro,

B.) Until you give me solid evidence to counteract the claims I made, then I don’t see how I’m behind. Instead, you want to believe that these small trials are SOLID evidence, and so you present these claims to the whole community, and hence confuse the shit out of everybody, and

C.) I just skimmed through my Nutrition text book, and it says a similar thing about brown rice. I don’t understand man, are these people WRONG too? Please, I’m not trying to be an ******* or ignorant, but is what I’m learning false? If so, why am I paying $20,000+ a year for school?

Starting to make you think about that college education for a moment isn’t it. How much do you really learn in college? I will save that for another article.

Even though Aragon already gave him everything he needed, he still wanted more. So Aragon delivers.

Alan Aragon: You are the DEFINITION of a noobette.

Look at the OP’s question — it has to do with cutting, aka reducing calories for the purpose of losing fat. You responded with all of this nonsense about GI and satiety, which got shot down with a boatload of science, not lay sources. He is not asking what food is “healthier”, he’s asking if white rice is inherently antagonistic to fat loss. The answer is NO. And even if brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, this won’t make a damn bit of difference within an entire lifetime (or two) unless that was the only food you ate. Within the context of a varied, balanced diet – especially a diet where carbs are restricted due to a cutting phase, white rice versus brown rice won’t make a damn bit of difference.

This is important information as a lot of people seem to think that these things make a difference. Now you can see, it doesn’t.

Noobette (LarryBird) starts to come around and agree with Aragon, even reps him, but then states…

Noobette (LarryBird): Can we both agree though, that in terms of nutrients, brown rice is better. Even if you do have to eat it for two life times to make a difference.

Here is where Aragon drops a serious knowledge bomb that I bet most of you didn’t see coming.

The answer is No, it isn’t.

Aragon posts some links that highlight that:

Results show that despite higher nutrients contents of brown rice compared to white rice, experimental data does not provide evidence that the brown rice diet is better than the diet based on white rice. Possible antinutritional factors present in brown rice have adverse effects on bioavailability of this cereal nutrients.

and

The nitrogen balance was negative on both diets, but more negative on the brown rice diet. The phosphorus balance on the brown rice diet was significantly negative, but other minerals were not affected by the diet. The levels of cholesterol and minerals in the plasma were not significantly different on the polished rice diet and the brown rice diet. Comparing these results with data on standard protein intake (Miyoshi, H. et al (1986) J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., 32, 581-589.), we concluded that brown rice reduced protein digestibility and nitrogen balance.

From here LarryBird has officially crossed over to the Aragon side.

The rest of the thread finishes with fun and wrong information that you have to read to enjoy. My favorite is that brown rice burns more calories!!

Leaving Alan with nothing left to give but:

Alan Aragon: *sighs*

What are the take home points from this debate? What did we learn here?

• Calories are all that matters at the end of the day with a caloric deficit.
• Glycemic index is not the only factor
• Many variables come into play when discussing digestion and insulin spiking
• Brown Rice may actually be LESS healthy than White in certain areas
• Don’t use any website in google you can find to support your argument or you get the title of “Noobette”

If interested in having Alan Aragon break down more research information for you like that, and even better, check out his monthly research review. At the very least hope on his site and check out more of his articles. A+ work.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

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Feature item for this post: AARR, obviously.

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