Rice
A staple for half the world — and the rare case where Gundry prefers the refined product (white rice) over the whole grain. The honest sticking point belongs to neither school of thought but to arsenic in the bran.
Nutrition
Macros
Vitamins
Minerals
Dr. Gundry
Rice is Gundry's best-known reversal: he prefers small amounts of white rice over brown rice — because the lectins sit in the bran, which white rice has removed. He rejects brown rice over those bran lectins. White rice stays permitted only in small portions and ideally pressure-cooked; even then it remains a bit-part as a starch source.
Dr. William Li · 5×5 system
Rice is none of Li's stars: refined white rice is essentially empty starch. Brown rice scores via bran and germ with fiber and resistant starch for the microbiome — cooked-then-cooled rice forms extra resistant starch. But the protective fractions sit exactly in the bran, which also concentrates the arsenic.
Biolazar evidence
Two levels: first, whole grain vs. refined — white rice has a high glycemic index and is associated with higher type-2 diabetes risk in meta-analyses (Hu 2012); brown rice fares better metabolically and falls under the favorable whole-grain evidence. Second, the arsenic question: rice accumulates inorganic arsenic, concentrated in the bran — precisely in brown rice. Practical compromise: cook rice in plenty of water and drain it (markedly lowers arsenic), vary varieties, and limit the amount for young children.
How to use
Choose brown rice for the micronutrients and fiber; for the lowest arsenic, cook it in plenty of water and drain the cooking water (like pasta). Basmati and white rice tend to have less arsenic than brown rice. Chilled, reheated rice provides more resistant starch. Rotating with other sides (millet, quinoa) limits the total arsenic load.
