Nutrition & Diet Arsenic in rice

[beancounter]

If you eat rice in small amounts a few times a week and don't over indulge it , its still healthy, arsenic is a natural thing that occurs in the soil.

Snake venom is natural too...

I think the point of the article is that the arsenic levels found were above normal the "safe" amounts.

 

[peacefulveglady]

I read its better to order rice from other sources then the USA. I have Rice up the wazzu , should I toss it out or eat it?

 

[beancounter]

If you eat rice frequently, you should consider switching to something like quinoa.

If you don't have it often, it's probably OK to eat. Although, I would see if your rice is from one of the states that scored highest in arsenic concentrations.

 

[Digger]

Damn, I eat a ton of rice... almost every day in fact.

IS NOTHING SAFE TO EAT ANYMORE???

 

[peacefulveglady]

I am getting into Quenia or how you spell and going to limit my rice intake.

 

[Second Summer]

I'm bumping this thread since there has been some developments:

Our most recent testing and analysis gave us some new information on the risk of arsenic exposure in infants and children through rice cereal and other rice products. We looked at data released by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 on the inorganic arsenic content of 656 processed rice-containing products. We found that rice cereal and rice pasta can have much more inorganic arsenic—a carcinogen—than our 2012 data showed. According to the results of our new tests, one serving of either could put kids over the maximum amount of rice we recommend they should have in a week. Rice cakes supply close to a child's weekly limit in one serving. Rice drinks can also be high in arsenic, and children younger than 5 shouldn’t drink them instead of milk. (Learn the new rice rules about weekly servings.)

Full article: How Much Arsenic Is in Your Rice - Consumer Reports (Nov. 2014)

 

[Tom L.]

Gah. I don't live on rice but I've eaten a lot of it for quite some time. My idea of a "serving" is one cup... uncooked... which becomes about 2-1/2 cups cooked. And a lot of my rice is brown. But I've often gotten it from California (Lundberg brand, in bulk).

What I don't understand is, the article mentions that arsenic can be used on certain livestock animals. It mentioned that the arsenic could wind up in their excrement (understandable) but didn't mention that the meat of those animals was an arsenic risk. Maybe arsenic doesn;t accumulate in living flesh, although it is a carcinogen.

 

[KLS52]

This upsets me so much. I love rice.

 

[Spang]

I've been eating this brown rice almost everyday for the last year-and-a-half. When am I supposed to die?

 

[shyvas]

I've been eating this brown rice almost everyday for the last year-and-a-half. When am I supposed to die?

California grown rice contains less arsenic compared to the other rice growing regions in the US. There are a few helpful tips that can reduce the amount of arsenic when preparing rice ; rinsing before and after cooking it in lots of water.

Consuming other grains like quinoa, millet, bulgur, couscous, oats etc also helps to reduce rice consumption.

Five Things You Need To Know About Arsenic In Rice (Before Dinner Time) | CommonHealth

 

[Blobbenstein]

arsenic puts hairs on your chest...! One of the essential minerals!

 

[ledboots]

California grown rice contains less arsenic compared to the other rice growing regions in the US. There are a few helpful tips that can reduce the amount of arsenic when preparing rice ; rinsing before and after cooking it in lots of water.

Consuming other grains like quinoa, millet, bulgur, couscous, oats etc also helps to reduce rice consumption.

Five Things You Need To Know About Arsenic In Rice (Before Dinner Time) | CommonHealth

Rinsing after cooking sounds gross. Mushy rice. I always rinse it well before I cook it.

Also,

"Large variations exist in peoples' ability to eliminate arsenic from the body, according to a new study that questions existing standards for evaluating the human health risks from the potentially toxic substance. The study found that some people eliminate more than 90 percent of the arsenic consumed in the diet. Others store arsenic in their bodies, where it can have harmful effects." People Vary Widely In Ability To Eliminate Arsenic From The Body -- ScienceDaily
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I know that in humans, arsenic poisoning shows up visibly on the fingernails, so it seems that animals consumed would have arsenic in their flesh. Some fish have very high arsenic levels, but they call it "organic arsenic" and claim it's not a worry. I don't know, I'm just glad my kids didn't like rice cereal when young.

I'm still going to eat my rice!

 

[KLS52]

I just made rice and I rinsed it before and after. I also cooked it in a lot of water instead of using just enough for the rice to absorb.

I thought I read, somewhere, that quinoa was an issue as well with regard to arsenic. :cries:

 

[shyvas]

I just made rice and I rinsed it before and after. I also cooked it in a lot of water instead of using just enough for the rice to absorb.

I thought I read, somewhere, that quinoa was an issue as well with regard to arsenic. :cries:

You are a good girl.

 

[Joe]

A friend sent me this picture.

 

[Second Summer]

More developments:

While it is generally believed traces of arsenic are expelled when the rice is cooked, it has now been claimed this only takes place when the rice is soaked overnight.

Andy Meharg, professor of biological sciences at Queens University Belfast, tested three ways of cooking rice for the BBC programme 'Trust Me, I’m a Doctor', to see whether it altered the levels of arsenic.

Source: If you cook rice like this, it can lead to arsenic poisoning (8. Feb. 2017)

The safest method was to soak the rice overnight, then wash and rinse it, then boil it in five parts water to one part rice, and once done, pour off the excess water.

 

[shyvas]

I've just made some rice (arsenic) pudding for dessert.