Dave AspreyCreator of Biohacking, Longevity Expert & 4x NY Times Bestselling Author

Eat This, Not That - Rice vs. Potatoes

Name: Eat This, Not That - Rice vs. Potatoes
Uploaded: 2025-01-11T15:00:09+00:00
Duration: 59 s
Channel: Dave Asprey
Description: In this video, the speaker evaluates the health impacts of rice and potatoes, concluding that rice is the preferable choice for most people. Potatoes…

11 Jan 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:59

In this video, the speaker evaluates the health impacts of rice and potatoes, concluding that rice is the preferable choice for most people. Potatoes contain higher levels of oxalic acid and belong to the nightshade family, which introduces lectins that can trigger inflammation and may be linked to up to 28% of rheumatoid arthritis cases in sensitive individuals. While brown rice is a grain, it carries more arsenic and outer‑layer lectins compared to white rice. The speaker recommends high‑quality white rice as the least inflammatory grain, provided it is prepared correctly: rinse the rice, then cook it with a source of medium‑chain triglyceride oil, coconut oil, or ghee. This cooking method cross‑links the rice’s polysaccharides, turning them into a prebiotic fiber that supports gut health.

Chapters

Which is healthier, rice or potatoes? It turns out they can both be healthy, but rice is where I would go, and here's why. Potatoes have higher amounts of oxalic acid, and they are a member of the nightshade family, which means, well, sadly, they're gonna have lectins. And a lot of people are sensitive and don't know it. About 28% of rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the nightshade family. But if you're not sensitive to potatoes and you're not sensitive to oxalates, well, you might find that you feel better when you switch from potatoes to rice. Why white rice versus brown? Because brown rice has a lot more arsenic and lectins in the outside of it. And the least inflammatory of all the grains, and the cleanest source of starch you can get is high quality white rice cooked properly, which means that you rinse it before you cook it, and you cook it with some MCT oil or some coconut oil or even some ghee in it, which will make the polysaccharides in the rice cross linked, so it becomes a prebiotic fiber.