Barley vs. Rice — What’s the Difference?

Macronutrients 

Cooked barley and rice are nearly 70% water and 30% nutrients.

Barley is significantly richer in dietary fiber and slightly higher in fats, whereas rice is somewhat higher in net carbs and proteins. Both contain negligible amounts of fat.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Rice

2

Protein: 2.69 g

Fats: 0.28 g

Carbs: 28.17 g

Water: 68.44 g

Other: 0.42 g

Barley

3

Protein: 2.26 g

Fats: 0.44 g

Carbs: 28.22 g

Water: 68.8 g

Other: 0.28 g

Contains more ProteinProtein	+19%
Contains more OtherOther	+50%

Contains more FatsFats

+57.1%

~equal in Carbs ~28.22g

~equal in Water ~68.8g

Vitamins

Barley and rice contain mainly B-complex vitamins. Enriched rice is 3.6 times richer in vitamin B9 or folate, 2.9 times richer in vitamin B5, and 2 times richer in vitamin B1 or thiamine.

Barley is richer in vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B6.

Both barley and rice are absent in or contain insignificant amounts of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and vitamin B12, and vitamin C.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Rice

4

Barley

6

Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E	+300%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+96.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+188.9%
Contains more FolateFolate	+262.5%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+376.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+39.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+23.7%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%
Contains more CholineCholine	+538.1%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Hulled barley is the winner in this category. Barley is richer in iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus than white rice.

White rice is richer in manganese and lower in sodium. However, both are naturally very low in sodium and also have equal calcium content.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Rice

2

Barley

7

Contains less SodiumSodium	-66.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+82.2%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+83.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+165.7%
Contains more IronIron	+10.8%
Contains more CopperCopper	+52.2%
Contains more ZincZinc	+67.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+25.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+14.7%

~equal in Calcium ~11mg

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of grains differs according to the variety, dietary fiber content, and cooking method.

Barley has a low glycemic index of 28, whereas the glycemic index of barley flour is 70, which is considered high. 

The glycemic index value of rice ranges from medium to high. The glycemic index of rice may be considered 60, whereas the glycemic index of brown rice is 66. Long-grain white rice has a glycemic index of 62, whereas instant and Basmati rice’s glycemic index is 60. Jasmine rice has a glycemic index of 89, and Arborio (short-grain) rice has a glycemic index of 69.

Acidity

Calculating the PRAL value of food is one of the ways to look at the food’s acidity. The PRAL value shows how much base or acid the food produces in the organism.

The PRAL values of rice and barley are 1.7 and 0.4, respectively, making rice more acidic or acid-producing.

Vegan

Vegans can consume rice and barley without any restrictions.

Rice milk is available as an alternative to dairy milk for vegans. Among other non-dairy milk, rice milk is sweeter and is usually found fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Alternative milk for vegans is barley milk which has many benefits as it reduces bloating, ingestion, and gas.

Keto

Due to their high carbohydrate content, both barley and rice are disqualified from the keto list. 

As long as the carbohydrate content is low to negligible, we can consume it in keto diets.

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

According to studies, rice peptides and certain compounds of barley may inhibit ACE activity, similar to the action of antihypertensive drugs such as Lisinopril and Captopril (1, 2).

Regular consumption of barley in moderate amounts by individuals with mild hypercholesterolemia has been shown to reduce total and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels, thereby decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (3).

The relationship between white rice consumption and the risk of heart disease is inconsistent. According to some studies, white rice consumption in moderate amounts does not correlate with developing cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, or stroke. However, other studies have found positive associations between rice consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome, which includes hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and obesity (4).

Diabetes

In an animal study, long-term consumption of barley has led to decreased blood sugar levels, which is explained by barley's high fiber content, leading to reduced glucose absorption (5).

White rice consumption may be positively correlated with diabetes development risk. It is recommended to substitute white rice with brown rice to reduce the risk (6, 7).

Digestion

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan

Barley is rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers, relieving constipation symptoms. In comparison, white rice, low in dietary fiber, benefits those with diarrhea.

Dietary fiber may also protect against duodenal ulcers, GERD, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, diverticulosis, and IBS development (8).

Both white and brown rice are considered tolerable for most people with IBS. Conversely, barley is high in poorly absorbed carbs called FODMAPs and may worsen the symptoms. During IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), only white rice is safe to consume.

People with celiac disease or NCGS (gluten intolerance) should exclude barley from their diet as it is one of the main gluten sources, and opt for naturally gluten-free rice.

Cancer

Even though rice is high in arsenic, some studies find no associations between rice consumption and cancer development risk (9).

On the other hand, barley grass has beneficial effects on cancers leading to cell death, even though this is not the hulled barley grain (10).

Metal Poisoning

Rice is a major source of heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and chromium, with disturbing levels of only arsenic. The germ layer in brown rice retains inorganic arsenic; thus, it is higher in arsenic than white rice (11).

According to the WHO, long-term exposure to arsenic is positively associated with bladder and lung cancers and skin lesions. Moreover, it is also linked to heart disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurocognitive defects in children, etc. (12).