I’ve recently been getting a lot of questions about brown rice and whole grains. Many people are becoming very familiar with these foods, but I think very few people actually know what brown rice and whole grains are. I’ve spoken to many people that are under the assumption that brown rice is a different type or a different variety of rice. In reality, all rice begins as brown rice, and while brown rice offers added nutrition, all rice can be an important part of your diet.

I think a great way to understand this is by focusing on the hugely-popular phrase “whole grain.” Over the past couple years; we have all been bombarded with whole grains. It’s labeled on our cereal boxes, loaves of bread and bags of rice. We see and hear about it on TV, and it’s even a fundamental building block of Michelle Obama’s healthy eating campaign. But what does brown rice or whole grain mean? In order to explain whole grains, we need not go further than the name. I actually love the marketing of whole grains because it is so simple and self-explanatory. Whole grain is exactly what it sounds like- it literally means the entire (whole) grain. The only thing that gets milled away is the inedible outer husk, leaving the entire rice kernel intact, including the germ, which is the corner of the rice kernel where life begins for a rice plant (another topic for another day) the brown colored outer bran layer (hence the name brown rice).

So now that we know what brown rice is, why is it healthier for you then white rice? It’s very simple really. This outer bran layer is filled with fiber, vitamins, protein and amino acids. The outer bran layer also contains a very healthy oil (rice bran oil), which is shown to help lower LDL Cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol). This oily bran layer also explains why brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice. It simply takes longer for the water to pass through the oily barrier and absorb into the rice kernel.

I believe that as people start to really understand these health benefits, the popularity of brown rice will continue to increase. I also noticed that many people who try brown rice are pleasantly surprised to find that they also really like the taste and texture. If you’re not yet on the whole grain brown rice bandwagon, maybe it’s time to give it a shot.

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Brendan O’Donnell is Vice President, Sales at The Sun Valley Rice Company, LLC, which mills, packages and markets premium California rice both domestically and around the world. He is the Fifth generation of his family to be involved in California agriculture and has been marketing and promoting California rice since 2007. He is a graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in Agricultural Systems and Environment and Communications. Brendan is also an active member of the Rice Leadership Development Program. When he’s not selling rice, Brendan enjoys golfing, skiing and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Erin have Two children, Bridget and Liam.