Rice supplies nearly twenty percent of the world’s total calorie intake. Ninety-five percent of the world’s rice is produced by China and India.
Across the different regions of India, there are nearly fifty thousand unique landraces or local varieties of rice. These landraces represent a rich heritage of genetic and physical diversity. Some varieties are red and some white. The varieties also differ in nutritional value.
How do the nutritional values of red and white rice differ?
A team of researchers from the Graphic Era University, Uttarakhand and the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource, Shimla explored the nutritional values of seven different rice varieties from Himachal Pradesh.
They collected samples from different agroclimatic regions. Karan Dhan, Jhinjhan Dhan and Chinu Dhan are cultivated in tropical climates. Jioni Dhan, Piyulu Dhan, Safed Phool Patash and Kala Dhan are cultivated in sub-tropical regions.
Some varieties such as Karan Dhan, Jhinjhana Dhan and Jioni Dhan are red. Piyulu Dhan, Safed Phool Patash, Kala Dhan and Chinu Dhan are white.
The colour difference is due to various phenols and flavonoids. The researchers quantified the phenols and flavonoids using a colorimetric assay. The red varieties had higher amounts of phenols and flavonoids due to the presence of anthocyanins in the outer bran layer. Anthocyanins are a defence mechanism against UV radiation and environmental stress.
The researchers performed targeted metabolomics using ultra high-performance chromatography. They found that the red varieties were rich in bound phenolic acids and amino acids. Because red rice has many bioactive compounds and complete grain development, it had the highest bulk density. The secondary metabolites in red rice also have anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties.
The researchers compared the composition of the red and white rice varieties.
Red rice had more moisture, ash, fat and energy, while white rice was richer in protein, carbohydrates and fibre. The mineral composition of the rice varieties was also different.
The researchers measured the amount of minerals in the red and white varieties using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Red rice contained more iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium and copper. Since red rice varieties have low phytic acid content, these minerals are more easily absorbed and used by the human body.
White rice varieties were richer in potassium.
How would these grains behave in a kitchen?
To check, the researchers tested their functional properties, such as a thousand kernel weight and oil or water absorption.
Red rice had higher oil and water absorption capacity, enhancing flavour and mouthfeel, due to the higher fat content and hydrophobic interactions. White rice was better at foaming, making it more suitable for baking applications because of its lower lipid content.
The red rice varieties were nutritionally superior to the white ones. The Jhinjhana Dhan variety was the most promising super-genotype for developing functional foods and health supplements, say the researchers.
Scientists can use these traditional rice varieties to create healthier varieties. Red rice is rich in nutrients and compounds that could help prevent diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Yet coloured rice makes up only five percent of India’s rice production. It remains under-marketed and under-consumed due to low awareness.
Raising awareness of the nutritional qualities may give farmers a reason to keep growing the coloured varieties and help keep old Himalayan farming traditions alive.
Food Biophysics, 21: 87 (2026);
DOI: 10.1007/s11483-026-10174-0
Reported by S. Gayathri
SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur
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