White rice is low in oxalates, containing about 4 mg per cooked cup. Brown rice is a different story, coming in at 24 mg per cup, which puts it near the upper edge of the low-oxalate category. The answer depends entirely on what type of rice you’re eating.
Oxalate Levels by Rice Type
Not all rice is created equal when it comes to oxalates. The difference comes down to how much of the grain’s outer layers remain intact after processing. Oxalates in rice are concentrated in the bran, the outer coating that gets stripped away during milling to produce white rice. Brown rice retains that bran layer, which is why its oxalate content is roughly six times higher than white rice.
Here’s how common rice products compare per serving:
- White rice (cooked, 1 cup): 4 mg, classified as low oxalate
- Brown rice (cooked, 1 cup): 24 mg, classified as very high by some sources
- White rice flour (1 cup): 11 mg, classified as high relative to other rice forms
- Rice cakes (1 cake): 4 mg, classified as low
- Rice pudding (½ cup): 2 mg, classified as very low
Black glutinous rice (sometimes called black sticky rice) is the outlier. It contains over 100 mg of oxalate per 100 grams of fresh weight, putting it firmly in the high-oxalate category alongside foods like spinach. If you’re watching your oxalate intake, this variety is worth avoiding.
Why the Bran Matters
Rice is a layered grain. The starchy white center, called the endosperm, is what you eat when you choose white rice. Surrounding it is the bran, a thin but nutrient-dense outer shell that accounts for about 10% of the whole grain’s weight. Bioactive compounds, including oxalates, are predominantly found in this outer layer.
When rice is milled into white rice, the bran and germ are removed, taking most of the oxalates with them. That’s why the jump from white to brown rice is so dramatic. It also explains why white rice flour (11 mg per cup) contains more oxalate than cooked white rice (4 mg per cup): flour is more concentrated by volume, and even refined flour retains trace amounts of the outer grain layers.
How Rice Compares to Other Grains
White rice is one of the lowest-oxalate grains available. Whole wheat, by comparison, ranges from about 53 to 77 mg per 100 grams depending on the variety, and wheat bran reaches a striking 457 mg per 100 grams. Whole grain wheat products like couscous, bulgur, and pasta all carry similarly elevated levels.
The pattern holds across grains generally: the more of the outer husk that remains, the higher the oxalate content. For people following a low-oxalate diet, white rice is one of the safest staple carbohydrates. Even brown rice, at 24 mg per cup, stays under the 25 mg threshold that the Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation uses to define a low-oxalate food, though it sits right at the boundary.
What Counts as Low Oxalate
Clinical nutrition guidelines generally use these thresholds per serving:
- Low: less than 25 mg
- Moderate: 25 to 99 mg
- High: 100 to 299 mg
- Very high: 300 mg or more
By these standards, both white and brown rice fall into the low category. A cup of cooked white rice delivers just a fraction of what you’d get from a serving of spinach, almonds, or beets. Even someone on a strict low-oxalate plan (typically recommended to stay under 40 to 50 mg of oxalate per day) can comfortably include white rice at most meals without approaching that limit.
Rice, Calcium, and Kidney Stones
Oxalates become a concern primarily because they bind with calcium in the kidneys to form calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of kidney stone. But the relationship between dietary oxalate and stone formation isn’t as straightforward as “eat less oxalate, get fewer stones.”
When calcium-rich foods are eaten alongside oxalate-containing foods, the calcium binds to the oxalate in the gut before it ever reaches the kidneys. Research on rice bran from as early as 1984 demonstrated reduced oxalate absorption when calcium-rich foods were present in the diet. Even more notably, evidence showed that stone formation decreased among patients who consumed rice bran regularly for three or more years. The bran appeared to have a protective effect, likely because its calcium and fiber content helped trap oxalates before absorption.
This means that even if you’re eating brown rice, pairing it with dairy, tofu, or other calcium-rich foods can offset its modest oxalate load. The oxalate binds to calcium in your digestive tract and passes out harmlessly rather than filtering through your kidneys.
Choosing the Right Rice
If you’re managing kidney stones or following a low-oxalate diet, plain white rice is your best option among rice varieties. At 4 mg per cup, it’s negligible. You can eat it freely without tracking it against your daily total. Brown rice is still reasonable at 24 mg, but it’s worth counting toward your daily budget if you’re keeping close tabs. Black glutinous rice should be treated like a high-oxalate food and limited or avoided.
For context, a single cup of cooked spinach contains over 750 mg of oxalate. A quarter cup of almonds has around 120 mg. White rice isn’t even in the same conversation as these foods. If you’re looking for a safe, everyday starch on a low-oxalate plan, white rice is one of the most reliable choices available.