Brown rice is a type of unprocessed and unpolished rice. It has had its outer bran layer intact, which gives it a natural brown color. In contrast to white rice, which is polished and processed to remove the outer bran layer, leaving only the white endosperm, brown rice retains all three parts of the grain: the bran, germ, and endosperm. This makes it nutritionally superior to white rice as it contains more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Brown rice is also a whole grain food, which means that its beneficial components are still intact and can be easily absorbed by the body.