Basmati rice is a special variety of rice prized for its flavour. There are no specific side effects ofeating this variety of rice. However the concern is whether the rice you eat is polished or unpolished, since there are huge nutritional losses during the refining process (i.e in the making of polished from unpolished rice). There are losses of most of the B-complex, Vit, Iron, Vitamin E protein to name a few. Hence, if you do consume basmati rice go in for the unpolished variety as far as possible. Please note that the deficiency of Vitamin B (thaimine) has been discovered in the rice eating population of Bengal.