Brown rice is husked rice, from which only the outer husk or inedible husk has been removed. It retains the intact germ with the layer of bran that surrounds it, which gives it a light brown color.

Brown rice also retains the germ that provides proteins and fatty acids, as well as its aleurone layer that contains elements that eliminate angiotensin, which influences the development of arteriosclerosis and hypertension.