Arsenic
Toxins · Metalloid / IARC Group 1
High priority
What this is
Rice accumulates arsenic from irrigation; brown rice retains more (in bran) than white. Consumer Reports and Healthy Babies Bright Futures (2022) testing shows wide variation by source and variety. Cooking rice like pasta in excess water then draining reduces arsenic 30-60%. Well users in affected regions should test annually.
Mechanism
Inorganic arsenic (iAs) — the toxic form; found in groundwater (private wells in parts of US, Southeast Asia), rice (especially brown rice from certain regions), some apple juices; organic arsenic in seafood largely non-toxic
Dose & route
Well water testing (especially NE, Midwest, Southwest); rice variety choice (basmati/jasmine lower than brown); don't use rice water in infant formula
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29098128/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35080488/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6126803/
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