Brown rice flour (Oryza sativa) is a naturally gluten-free whole-grain flour made by finely grinding brown rice with its bran and germ intact. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor and works well in gluten-free breads, muffins, pancakes, cookies, and flour blends. Because the whole grain is retained, brown rice flour provides manganese, magnesium, B vitamins, and protective plant compounds, including ferulic acid and γ-oryzanol. Grinding changes the physical structure of the grain, however, making its starch more accessible to digestive enzymes than when brown rice is eaten intact.