Brown rice is whole grain rice, with the inedible outer hull removed; white rice is the same grain with the hull, bran layer and cereal germ removed. Red rice, gold rice, black rice and purple rice are all whole rices, but with a differently-pigmented outer layer. Any type of rice, unpolished, may be eaten whole. Whole rice has a mild, nutty flavor, and is chewier and more nutritious than white rice. A thiamine-deficient diet including only white rice can cause beriberi; the disease can be prevented, and treated, by eating whole rice instead. Rice plants accumulate arsenic, and there have been concerns over excessive arsenic levels in rice. There is more arsenic in the bran, so brown rice contains more arsenic. The European Union has introduced regulations on arsenic in rice, but the United States has not.

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