• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
The Healthy Home Economist

The Healthy Home Economist

embrace your right to a lifetime of health

Get Plus
  • Home
  • About
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Archives
  • Log in
  • Get Plus
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Get Plus
  • Log in
  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Archives
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Green Living
  • Videos
  • Natural Remedies
  • Health
  • Green Living
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Sweeteners / The Harsh Reality of Brown Rice Syrup

The Harsh Reality of Brown Rice Syrup

by John Moody / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Brown Rice Syrup Manufacturing
  • Traditional food?
  • Nutritional Profile of Brown Rice Syrup (BRS)
  • Dirty water plus Brown Rice Syrup Equals Disaster
  • It Isn’t Just Baby Formula
  • Why (IN THE WORLD) is Rice Syrup Considered Healthy?
  • Rice Syrup in Moderation
  • Gluten-Free Eaters at Special Risk

Brown rice syrup is widely considered a healthy alternative to white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. It is a common ingredient in gluten free and organic foods. Scientific research and analysis of the manufacturing process uncovers reasons to be cautious with its use, however.brown rice syrup in a small glass bowl with a spoon

The average person consumes around a cup of refined sugars every single day. This is 16 tablespoons per day and adds up to just shy of three pounds per week, or 152 pounds per year! In 1970, Americans ate 123 pounds of sugar per year, and 100 years ago, it was half that amount (1).

With so much scientific research demonstrating the health disaster of eating this much sugar every day for months and years on end, food manufacturers are cashing in on people’s attempts to avoid it. This trend is most especially pronounced in processed foods at the health food store. Brown rice syrup or organic brown rice syrup (OBRS) is a sweetener frequently used as an alternative to white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in organic and health food products.

For example, organic infant formulas rely heavily on brown rice syrup, sometimes exclusively, as the sweetener. This is a headscratcher considering that human breastmilk contains lactose in amounts higher than goat or cow milk! Fortunately, parents are starting to wise up, eschewing these organic yet unhealthy concoctions. A strong trend toward making homemade baby formula continues to gain ground with well-researched parents.

Infants and babies aside, is brown rice syrup really a problem for older children and adults in small to moderate amounts? Is it a better ingredient than high fructose corn syrup and white sugar usually of GMO origin?

Let’s take an in-depth look at this source of sugar in the Western diet that is widely considered to be healthy. There is much we need to know about brown rice syrup (BRS) before buying foods containing it.

Brown Rice Syrup Manufacturing

Looking at brown rice, one wouldn’t initially think it’s a great candidate as a sugar source. A super-high starch content coupled with modern chemistry and commercial techniques make it so. The starch in rice is exposed to particular enzymes, which break it down into various sugars. Generally, the resulting process creates maltotriose (52%), maltose (45%), and glucose (3%).

While the first two sound fancy, they are just joined-up glucose molecules (three for maltotriose and two for maltose). Chemically speaking, brown rice syrup is basically pure glucose with a glycemic index (GI) of 98 out of 100! (2)

Once broken down, the impurities are filtered out. At this point, no one would be able to identify that the syrup came from rice. Where did we ever get the idea to make this stuff?

Traditional food?

Surprisingly, some traditional cultures actually did use brown rice to create a sweet rice syrup. But the process looked very different, as did the end product.

The traditional practice added a small number of sprouted barley grains to cooked brown rice in a solution of heated water. The enzymes supplied by the barley digested the carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids in the brown rice to produce a sweet solution. This mixture was high in simple carbs with small amounts of amino acids and lipids remaining.

The grains were then strained out and the liquid boiled to remove the water and create a thickened mixture that looks a lot like yacon syrup. Unlike modern brown rice syrup, the traditional version contained very little glucose and up to 10% protein. (3)

Thus, as traditional food, BRS retained most of its nutritional value when prepared carefully. It was also consumed in small amounts. This versus an industrialized version that is highly refined and often added as a primary ingredient to addictive processed “health” foods and organic baby formula.

How does the nutritional value compare?

Nutritional Profile of Brown Rice Syrup (BRS)

While brown rice has a fair nutritional profile, brown rice syrup is almost fully devoid of nutrients. This is surprising given that the color is dark brown giving the impression that it is loaded with minerals like maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, or malted barley.

It is quite a shock to learn that it also has a very high glycemic index (GI). Coming in at a staggering 98 out of 100, it ranks higher than almost every single other processed sugar. This includes refined white sugar with a GI of 80 and high fructose corn syrup with a GI of 87!

While BRS definitely qualifies as empty calories, this is not the worst of it. These empty calories, unfortunately, come with a killer sidekick – arsenic. Studies show that modern brown rice syrup keeps nearly all the arsenic in brown rice, but little else. (4)

Ranges of arsenic concentration in rice products, including OBRS (organic brown rice syrup), are similar to arsenic concentrations in brown rice. (5)

So, with brown rice syrup, we get a simple sugar with none of the nutritional benefits. In other words, calories at a high metabolic cost (high GI). And to top it all off, a load of toxic arsenic!

Why are food manufacturers putting this junk in organic baby formula? Lest you might think that the “organic” somehow makes it healthier, know that researchers discovered arsenic in brands of organic baby formula at levels 6 times that considered safe in the water supply by the EPA.

Dirty water plus Brown Rice Syrup Equals Disaster

For people who are exposed to arsenic in their environment via well water, drinking water, or other avenues, this news is especially concerning. Doubly so for their children if they are mixing baby or toddler formula that contains brown rice syrup, even ORGANIC.

Please take note:

Organic brown rice syrup is no better than conventional when it comes to arsenic contamination.

Studies of baby formula show that those made without brown rice syrup score had the lowest levels of arsenic. Soy formula and those containing brown rice syrup had the highest levels of inorganic arsenic and dimethyl-arsenate. (6)

Soy and arsenic, ugh! Is this really what we want to be giving developing babies???

It Isn’t Just Baby Formula

Brown rice syrup is a favorite sugar in many other foods, including so-called healthy foods like cereal and energy bars and some sports and energy drinks. Correspondingly, those same foods show elevated levels of arsenic when tested. Researchers found the following after testing 3 commercially available brown rice syrups, 29 cereal bars (18 with OBRS), and 3 high-performance “energy shot blocks” with OBRS.

All 29 cereal bars tested contained some arsenic, but those without any rice-based ingredients had the lowest levels. Nearly 60% of the others contained inorganic arsenic. The three energy shot blocks contained enough inorganic arsenic that if an individual were to consume the manufacturer-recommended four servings during a two-hour workout, they would ingest the equivalent of drinking a liter of water containing 10 µg/L arsenic; total arsenic would be twice that. (7)

Why (IN THE WORLD) is Rice Syrup Considered Healthy?

With all the hubbub about Americans consuming too much sugar, a lot of attention has been given to the types of sugar we consume. Fructose started to receive special attention as a sweetener that was possibly more damaging to our health than others. So, some companies started looking for alternatives to fructose based sugars, opting for those made primarily of glucose, like brown rice syrup.

Unfortunately, pure sugar is pure sugar – fructose, dextrose, glucose, galactose. It doesn’t matter the name.

Even worse, brown rice syrup is pure sugar served with a side of arsenic. A true double whammy to our well being.

Seek to minimize your exposure to brown rice syrup. Just like any other processed and refined foods, even if organic, it is ultimately a factory food not manufactured according to traditional wisdom.

Rice Syrup in Moderation

Let’s add a practical caveat to all this gloom and doom.

An occasional organic food that contains BRS is probably of little concern. However, as an ingredient in something you consume moderately on a regular basis, a habit change is prudent to reduce exposure. And, watch out for those popular cereal bars containing rice syrup packed into your children’s lunchboxes!

If you already like to consume rice on a regular basis, make sure you are following the recommendations on how to reduce your arsenic exposure in rice. Switching to more nutritious wild rice is a good first step.

jar of brown rice syrup on a table

Gluten-Free Eaters at Special Risk

If you are gluten-free, realize that your total arsenic exposure could be a lot higher than you realize. A few gluten-free prepared foods each week, a few servings of rice, a few foods that contain brown rice syrup, and you could end up with significantly elevated levels of arsenic in your body. This warning goes double and triple for small children and pregnant and nursing moms!

Arsenic or gluten? Pick your poison. Alternatively, prepare meals and snacks from whole foods.

As a final note, traditionally prepared brown rice syrup may not be pure, empty calories like the modern version. However, it will still probably contain elevated levels of arsenic depending on the source of the rice. Given this, I see no reason to keep it on hand or recommend it.

Many other sweeteners are much safer, nutritious, and widely available. The best of these include coconut sugar, stevia leaf, maple syrup, jaggery, date sugar, molasses, and raw honey. Consuming one like BRS that contains dangerous contaminants, even if organic, in our heavily polluted world doesn’t make any sense.

What do you think about this information about rice syrup? Do you choose to avoid it?

FacebookPinEmailPrint
Category: Healthy Living, Sweeteners
John Moody

John W. Moody is an author, speaker, farmer, homesteader, and Real Food activist. Most importantly, he is the husband of an amazing wife and father to five awesome kids.

John speaks nationally at a wide range of events, along with writing for numerous publications and consulting for farmers, homesteaders, and food businesses.

He is the author of three books: The Frugal Homesteader, The Elderberry Book, and DIY Sourdough: A Beginner’s Guide.

johnwmoody.com/

You May Also Like

Medical Bills tied to 62% of Bankruptcies

GAPS diet review

GAPS Diet: Heal Your Autoimmune Disease Now

vitamin e and vaping

Vitamin E Triggers Vaping Sickness?

The Do's and Don'ts of Buying Bone Broth

The Do’s and Don’ts of Buying Bone Broth

Hurricane Supplies I Stock in My Emergency Cabinet

Sarah's Favorite Prime Day Deals (25+ Ideas) 1

Sarah’s Favorite Prime Day Deals (25+ Ideas)

Feeling Tired More Than You Should?

Get a free chapter of my book Get Your Fats Straight + my weekly newsletter and learn which fats to eat (and which to avoid) to reduce sugar cravings and improve energy significantly!

We send no more than one email per week. You will never be spammed or your email sold, ever.
Loading

Reader Interactions

Comments (28)

  1. Alina

    Oct 16, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    Almost immediately after I start to eat rice I feel the phlegm starts forming in my nose and back of my throat. I am always wondering why? Because mucous usually forms as a response to inflammation! Could the arsenic in it be the culprit?

    When I eat bread the reaction is slightly different – the mucous forms somewhere in the esophagus and lungs and I get a deep mucous cough. That happens only with the food high in gluten concentration (i.e. cakes in general don’t produce the same reaction).

    Reply
  2. Cho

    Apr 17, 2020 at 6:23 am

    Hi Sarah,
    I came across your article by accident when I was looking for something else. But I’m so glad I did!
    You mention date sugar to be a better alternative to BRS. I wonder if using dates as is (instead of dates sugar or dates syrup) is equally healthy? Could you please clarify?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 17, 2020 at 9:20 am

      Yes using dates is fantastic! They just don’t work texture-wise for all recipes, which is why date syrup is my preferred choice.

  3. Landen

    Feb 18, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    The higher GI is inconsequential to those of us who seek to lower cholesterol by reducing the amount of fructose in the diet. It is important to note that if you have diabetes then rice syrup would not be a good idea. The body can turn glucose into glycogen and store it in the muscles. The body can not turn fructose into anything but fat. The more fructose you eat, the more it elevates cholesterol.

    Reply
  4. Michael Potter

    Dec 11, 2018 at 5:31 am

    Real maple syrup is the only alkalizing sweerner
    real barley malt made w/o GMO enyymes, just the enzymes created from the barley sprouting

    Reply
  5. Marie

    Oct 26, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    I’ve noticed many “popular” brands including Kashi and Back to Nature, list brown rice syrup in their ingredients. I read about BRS a few years ago, the arsenic connection, and try to avoid it as much as possible. Unfortunately it’s become rather ubiquitous lately. I’ve gotten to making my own treats/home baked goods – avoiding packaged garbage more and more. Well, their loss is our gain.

    Reply
  6. Lynn Ferguson

    Aug 24, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Great article John, we are deceived all the time.
    So if you wanted to make a “healthier alternative bar” with nuts, seeds etc but needed something to tie it altogether and supply a little sweetness, what would YOU use, please?

    Reply
  7. Christina J

    Aug 19, 2018 at 1:58 pm

    Wow! This is surprising to me. I had read/been told that brown rice syrup was low GI, we use the organic variety, and it’s one of the few sweeteners that doesn’t make my child go bonkers, it seems in fact to be one of the only ones she has no reaction to. I am thinking to try raw turbinado or powdered stevia next (for my hot chocolate recipe).

    Reply
    • vimal

      Jan 12, 2020 at 1:44 am

      try whole powdered uncrystallised sugar (jaggery, panela, coconut sugar, palm sugar) , not separated crystallised sugars

  8. beth

    Oct 2, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    would barley malt syrup rank the same?

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Oct 2, 2017 at 4:34 pm

      Good question … I’m looking into it and will do an article on it.

  9. Karey

    Aug 11, 2017 at 9:00 pm

    I make a cream cheese pecan pie, called mystery pecan, that everyone loves. It calls for corn syrup. I’ve been using the brown rice syrup as a substitute. So should I just use the corn syrup?

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Aug 12, 2017 at 8:03 am

      Definitely don’t use corn syrup! Have you tried coconut syrup or yacon syrup?

  10. Lisa

    Aug 10, 2017 at 9:52 pm

    I think you need to clarify the difference between rice malt syrup and the brown syrup you are talking about. Rice malt is nutritious, has several levels of energy release making its Gi excellent and an excellent substitute sweetener for people with fructose intolerance. All the sweeteners you have listed contain large amounts of fructose and are unsuitable for anyone with issues with fructose. Not to mention all the damage they will do to your liver, arteries through triglycerides and the raft of fructose related diseases and disorders caused by eating fructose in any form except in whole fruits and nuts and even then being aware of how much we are consuming for optimal health

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

The Healthy Home Economist

Since 2002, Sarah has been a Health and Nutrition Educator dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. Read More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Check Out My Books

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

Contact the Healthy Home Economist. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy.

Copyright © 2009–2023 · The Healthy Home Economist · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!