Arsenic rice is the next scary thing that we have known. The news came out in 2012 and it becomes one of the most bothering things to deal with.
Rice is the staple food of many nations. In U.S. though it is not the main part of the meal, rice has been always the favorite counterpart of every steamy, sumptuous dish. But what if you find out that what you are eating is Arsenic rice?
A recent study on Consumer Reports which is accessible online and will be published in January 2015 Consumer Reports magazine reveals that rice contains the toxic heavy metal, Arsenic. The research also suggests that varied types of rice have different levels of Arsenic content.
Should we fret over this issue? Perhaps Arsenic Rice is new to some people.
"In virtually every product tested, we found measurable amounts of total arsenic in its two forms. We found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern," Chris Kresser reports.
The Consumer Reports also revealed that the widely eaten rice products including white rice, brown rice, rice breakfast cereals, and organic rice baby cereal all have arsenic. What's really alarming is that Arsenic rice products are offered mostly in many baby cereals.
Here are things that you need to know about Arsenic Rice:
What is Arsenic?
According to Medicine Net, Arsenic, also called metalloid comes in three forms: gray, black and yellow. It is regarded as heavy metals and thus a potent risk for toxicity. Arsenic which is widely used in manufacturing insecticides and weed killers is also labeled as carcinogenic.
In what products does arsenic mostly found?
Arsenic appears mostly in rice and rice products. Why? Rice grows in water and water has arsenic. Aside from that rice is exposed to pesticides and fertilizers containing arsenic.
A research assistant professor at Dartmouth College, Tracy Punshon, concluded that arsenic is found in the germ, the part of the grain that is being taken out in white rice. Brown rice contains more than 80 percent arsenic than white rice.
Does the level of arsenic in rice vary?
Scottish researchers found out that arsenic rice with highest content grows in southern part of the U.S. California grows the least amount of arsenic in the United States.
The level of arsenic content found in rice depends on where it is grown. White basmati rice from California, Pakistan and India has lower arsenic content than the brown basmati rice from the same countries.
What is the danger of arsenic rice?
With repeated exposure to arsenic, it poses risk to skin, bladder and lung cancer. It also delivers danger in acquiring type II diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
Infants are more exposed to danger as most of their foods are made from cereals and rice drinks that have arsenic. Consumer Reports proposes that "babies eat no more than one serving of infant rice cereal per day, on average, and that their diets should include cereals made from other grains."
As a word of advice, always make sure to wash rice well as it removes 30 percent of arsenic on it. When buying organic products, remember that brown rice is healthier, but it still contains the same amount of arsenic.
We can't take out rice in our diet. Opt for rice with less arsenic such as barley, faro, quinoa and bulgur.
