I gave up my beloved organic brown rice when it became news that it absorbs arsenic, and I miss it dearly. Are there any studies showing that this is "junk science"? Is there such a thing as arsenic-free rice? Surprisingly, my usual haunting grounds (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's) have failed me.
arsenic-free rice
- Thread starter Nayov
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Beware of arsenic free apples.
Although retired I worked and lived in Asia for many years and did not see any folks dropping dead there from eating Rice?
Some of the longest living humans in fact are from countries that eat a lot of the stuff.
In parts of the country Arsenic is found in drinking water.
I would not worry about naturally occurring Arsenic but would worry more about Radon Gas especially in colder parts of the country where windows are not opened often.
Some of the longest living humans in fact are from countries that eat a lot of the stuff.
In parts of the country Arsenic is found in drinking water.
I would not worry about naturally occurring Arsenic but would worry more about Radon Gas especially in colder parts of the country where windows are not opened often.
More 100+ years old per million live in Japan than any other country. Their main dish is rice, they eat little meat, especially beef.
Just wash the rice 2-3 times before cook.
Just wash the rice 2-3 times before cook.
It's the way rice is grown. Because of the high constant moisture in the root sytem arcenic can be absorb more frequent than normal verus normal plants. Geographic areas arcenic levels vary.
Personally I think this scare is coming from the environmentals to ban certain pesticides with high levels of arsenic which gets into the water table. It coincided with the eventual ban and resticted use of arcenic pesticides http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/organic_arsenicals_fs.html.
In Asian diet, chinese parsley is consumed...heavy metal cleanser.
http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/20...tnamese-soup-2/
Personally I think this scare is coming from the environmentals to ban certain pesticides with high levels of arsenic which gets into the water table. It coincided with the eventual ban and resticted use of arcenic pesticides http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/organic_arsenicals_fs.html.
In Asian diet, chinese parsley is consumed...heavy metal cleanser.
http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/20...tnamese-soup-2/
Consumer Reports has done quite a good report on arsenic in rice in general. It does appear to be the real thing (though I haven't researched the primary lierature myself).
Some rice has it and some rice doesn't. On average US rice seems to have higher levels than asian rice. There has been speculation that (in the US at least) it's the result of using chicken manure as a fertilizer.
There is also arsenic in groundwater in some areas - in South East Asia for sure. There has been work on arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh for example.
Arsenic is a well established carcinogen (it is 1 of 113 established carcinogens according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC))and we shouldn't be dismissive about this.
So what am I doing? I still eat rice occasionally but in moderate amounts. As in a lot of things, moderation is a very good thing. And read the Consumer Reports article.
Some rice has it and some rice doesn't. On average US rice seems to have higher levels than asian rice. There has been speculation that (in the US at least) it's the result of using chicken manure as a fertilizer.
There is also arsenic in groundwater in some areas - in South East Asia for sure. There has been work on arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh for example.
Arsenic is a well established carcinogen (it is 1 of 113 established carcinogens according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC))and we shouldn't be dismissive about this.
So what am I doing? I still eat rice occasionally but in moderate amounts. As in a lot of things, moderation is a very good thing. And read the Consumer Reports article.
ConsumerReports.org published, "FDA data show arsenic in rice, juice, and beer" on February 6, 2014. It's not very encouraging; they recommend diversifying consumption to include grains other than rice and cooking the rice you do eat with excess water so you can pour off the water and some of the contaminants. In the November, 2012 issue of the printed Consumer Reports, they show the arsenic content of quite a few brands of rice.
Where is most of the rice grown in the US... arsenical herbicides/pesticides have been used heavily for decades and still remains in the soil. Crops such as cotton which is in the southern states.
That would make more sense rather the chicken manure fertilizer.
I buy my brown rice from California.
That would make more sense rather the chicken manure fertilizer.
I buy my brown rice from California.
Summary of Sampling Results
Inorganic Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Summary (Includes results from September 2012)
Product Category Product Subcategory Average Inorganic Arsenic mcg/serving1 Number of Samples
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Brownies 1.3 5
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Cakes/Muffins 3.0 24
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Pie and Pizza Crust 2.5 3
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Pudding 0.8 4
Beverages2 Beer 2.1 65
Beverages2 Non-Dairy Rice Drinks 3.3 61
Beverages2 Protein Beverages 1.5 32
Beverages2 Rice Beverages 0.9 42
Beverages2 Rice Wine 0.5 22
Cereals Hot/Ready-to-eat Cereal3 3.2 110
Cereals Infant Cereal4 1.8 69
Cereals Toddler Cereal4 1.5 16
Grain-based Bars Cereal/Granola Bars 1.7 86
Grain-based Bars Meal Replacement/Energy Bars 2.0 29
Other Cookies 1.6 43
Other Dietary Supplements - Rice Protein Powders 1.9 12
Other Infant Formula 0.1 10
Other Pasta 6.6 23
Snacks Rice Cakes 4.3 59
Snacks Savory Rice Snacks 2.2 119
Snacks Sweet Rice Snacks 0.9 22
Rice Basmati 3.5 53
Rice Brown 7.2 99
Rice Instant 2.6 14
Rice Jasmine 3.9 13
Rice Other (incl wild rice5, carnaroli, mixed types) 5.6 6
Rice Parboiled 5.1 39
Rice White, long grain 4.6 149
Rice White, medium grain 3.6 91
Rice White, short grain 3.5 23
1Serving size based on Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) per 21CFR 101.12 for each product category. The average inorganic arsenic (micrograms/serving) reported for each product category was calculated using all inorganic arsenic values. For those samples not speciated because the total arsenic was below the threshold for speciation, half of the total arsenic value was used for the inorganic arsenic value to calculate the average. For samples with the total arsenic less than the detection limit, half of the detection limit was used for the inorganic arsenic value to calculate the average. Please see the Full Analytical Results tables for rice and rice products for further information.
2An assumption was made that 1 ml = 1 g for the purposes of calculating inorganic arsenic per serving.
3The highest sample in this category was a rice bran cereal containing inorganic arsenic equivalent to 30 mcg/serving; the next highest samples in this
category contained inorganic arsenic equivalent to 11 mcg/serving.
4The 16 Toddler Cereal samples are a subset of the Infant Cereal category due to potential use in both infants and toddlers.
5"Wild rice" is not actual rice. Wild rice comes from an aquatic annual grass (Zizania aquatic) bearing edible grain.
Inorganic Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Summary (Includes results from September 2012)
Product Category Product Subcategory Average Inorganic Arsenic mcg/serving1 Number of Samples
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Brownies 1.3 5
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Cakes/Muffins 3.0 24
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Pie and Pizza Crust 2.5 3
Bakery Mixes and Pudding Pudding 0.8 4
Beverages2 Beer 2.1 65
Beverages2 Non-Dairy Rice Drinks 3.3 61
Beverages2 Protein Beverages 1.5 32
Beverages2 Rice Beverages 0.9 42
Beverages2 Rice Wine 0.5 22
Cereals Hot/Ready-to-eat Cereal3 3.2 110
Cereals Infant Cereal4 1.8 69
Cereals Toddler Cereal4 1.5 16
Grain-based Bars Cereal/Granola Bars 1.7 86
Grain-based Bars Meal Replacement/Energy Bars 2.0 29
Other Cookies 1.6 43
Other Dietary Supplements - Rice Protein Powders 1.9 12
Other Infant Formula 0.1 10
Other Pasta 6.6 23
Snacks Rice Cakes 4.3 59
Snacks Savory Rice Snacks 2.2 119
Snacks Sweet Rice Snacks 0.9 22
Rice Basmati 3.5 53
Rice Brown 7.2 99
Rice Instant 2.6 14
Rice Jasmine 3.9 13
Rice Other (incl wild rice5, carnaroli, mixed types) 5.6 6
Rice Parboiled 5.1 39
Rice White, long grain 4.6 149
Rice White, medium grain 3.6 91
Rice White, short grain 3.5 23
1Serving size based on Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) per 21CFR 101.12 for each product category. The average inorganic arsenic (micrograms/serving) reported for each product category was calculated using all inorganic arsenic values. For those samples not speciated because the total arsenic was below the threshold for speciation, half of the total arsenic value was used for the inorganic arsenic value to calculate the average. For samples with the total arsenic less than the detection limit, half of the detection limit was used for the inorganic arsenic value to calculate the average. Please see the Full Analytical Results tables for rice and rice products for further information.
2An assumption was made that 1 ml = 1 g for the purposes of calculating inorganic arsenic per serving.
3The highest sample in this category was a rice bran cereal containing inorganic arsenic equivalent to 30 mcg/serving; the next highest samples in this
category contained inorganic arsenic equivalent to 11 mcg/serving.
4The 16 Toddler Cereal samples are a subset of the Infant Cereal category due to potential use in both infants and toddlers.
5"Wild rice" is not actual rice. Wild rice comes from an aquatic annual grass (Zizania aquatic) bearing edible grain.
Arsenic is, it seems an essential trace nutrient...and like many/most of them, too much can be problematic...not sure that the levels in rice are/would be problematic.
My first thought when I read the thread title was fly ash being used to seal the bases of rice paddies
My first thought when I read the thread title was fly ash being used to seal the bases of rice paddies
Originally Posted By: flanso
ConsumerReports.org published, "FDA data show arsenic in rice, juice, and beer" on February 6, 2014. It's not very encouraging; they recommend diversifying consumption to include grains other than rice and cooking the rice you do eat with excess water so you can pour off the water and some of the contaminants. In the November, 2012 issue of the printed Consumer Reports, they show the arsenic content of quite a few brands of rice.
This was about the same time they had the scare with arsenic in apples. know what idiots flocked to? more processed foods.
Just eat in moderation and with variety.
ConsumerReports.org published, "FDA data show arsenic in rice, juice, and beer" on February 6, 2014. It's not very encouraging; they recommend diversifying consumption to include grains other than rice and cooking the rice you do eat with excess water so you can pour off the water and some of the contaminants. In the November, 2012 issue of the printed Consumer Reports, they show the arsenic content of quite a few brands of rice.
This was about the same time they had the scare with arsenic in apples. know what idiots flocked to? more processed foods.
Just eat in moderation and with variety.
There's a couple things you can do to reduce arsenic load in rice. First, don't buy rice produced in the southern states. They tend to have more arsenic. I buy Lundber'gs Caliornia rice. Second, when cooking it, add extra water. Then halfway through, drain out half. That takes a lot of arsenic out.
Even better, cook it the way they do in the Middle East and India. Cook the rice 3/4 done. Then drain out all of the water. Then rinse the rice with cold water. Coat the bottom of the pan with oil and a thin layer of water. Then add the rice back in with clean rag wrapped around the cover. Then just let it cook on low heat for an hour or so. The moisture gets absorbed by the rag and the rice comes out fluffy and separated. There are also some Persian rice recipes online if you want more specific instructions.
Even better, cook it the way they do in the Middle East and India. Cook the rice 3/4 done. Then drain out all of the water. Then rinse the rice with cold water. Coat the bottom of the pan with oil and a thin layer of water. Then add the rice back in with clean rag wrapped around the cover. Then just let it cook on low heat for an hour or so. The moisture gets absorbed by the rag and the rice comes out fluffy and separated. There are also some Persian rice recipes online if you want more specific instructions.
Before anyone gets too excited do any of these studies that publish this data distinguish whether it is organic or inorganic arsenic? Makes a difference.
Ran across a good article, in my opinion, fairly summarizing what is known about the health effects of arsenic (primarily in water but with some extension into food).
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a130/
They talk about looking for a threshold. The theory is that for some substances there is a threshold below which there is no harmful effect (usually applied to no increased risk of cancer). The problem is that as testing methods become more sophisticated it is possible to identify smaller and smaller concentrations - but at what point does a miniscule amount no longer matter?
Good reading.
Ecotourist
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/122-a130/
They talk about looking for a threshold. The theory is that for some substances there is a threshold below which there is no harmful effect (usually applied to no increased risk of cancer). The problem is that as testing methods become more sophisticated it is possible to identify smaller and smaller concentrations - but at what point does a miniscule amount no longer matter?
Good reading.
Ecotourist
Check your area where arsenic is in drinking water. Interesting here the Waipahu-Ewa-Waianae has arsenic probably dued to heavy pesticide/herbicide usage. Sugarcane days.
http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/contaminants
http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters/contaminants
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