Rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population. People all over the world rely on rice as their primary source of food. While not a staple food in America, many Americans use rice in various dishes or as a side dish. But there is a risk of arsenic from rice.[1] Could we slowly be poisoning ourselves without even knowing it?
Arsenic is a toxic metal that can build up in our bodies over a long period and cause serious health issues. However, the type of rice used and how you prepare it may make a significant difference. This article will explore how arsenic ends up in our rice and what you can do to reduce your risk of exposure and stay safe.
What Is Arsenic?
Arsenic is a chemical element that often combines with other elements. Organic arsenic, often found in our food, is less toxic than inorganic arsenic. Inorganic arsenic mainly results from human activities.
However, we are increasingly becoming exposed to inorganic arsenic in our foods. This is the kind that is present in rice, and it could lead to myriad health issues, even putting us at a higher risk of certain types of cancer.
What Causes Arsenic in Rice?
Arsenic from rice may result from both natural and human activities:
Natural Activities That Cause Arsenic in Rice
Rice grows in flooded fields. As a result, the soil in these fields does not contain much or any oxygen. Certain bacteria found in the soil will then turn to arsenic for energy. This ensures their survival. They then cause a reaction in other minerals that makes the arsenic more readily available for absorption into the root systems of rice.
Human Activities That Cause Arsenic from Rice
Numerous human activities promote an increase in arsenic from rice because they release waste and other byproducts into the water or soil in which the rice is grown.
The use of pesticides, herbicides, phosphate fertilisers, mining activities, smelting, coal burning, and much more all result in an increase in arsenic in our water sources and soil.
Arsenic often drains into our groundwater[2], slowly making its way into our drinking water and well water. We not only drink this water but also use it for irrigation. As a result, it makes its way into the foods we eat via plant roots and into our meat and fish supply.
Cows, for example, eat grass containing arsenic, while fish, even in our oceans, take up arsenic from the water around them. Ultimately, we eat these foods, and our bodies take up this arsenic.
Why Is Arsenic from Rice A Concern?
Rice is particularly susceptible to arsenic contamination, even more so than other crops. This is because rice grown in paddy fields needs much more water than other crops.
Rice grows in water-filled fields called paddies. Not only will rice plants take up arsenic from this water, but also from the soil in these fields. As a result, rice tends to absorb as much as ten times more arsenic than other food crops like wheat or barley[3], for example.
In the USA, rice grown in southern states contains more arsenic than that grown in California. This is because the southern states traditionally used arsenic-based pesticides, which resulted in the soil containing elevated levels of the toxin.
What Kinds of Rice Contain Arsenic?
Arsenic in White Rice vs. Brown Rice
Higher arsenic from rice is found in the outer bran layer. Brown rice still has its bran, and thus has a higher concentration of the toxin, than white rice, which has undergone a milling process.
However, the production of white rice, due to milling, can remove up to ninety per cent of the rice’s nutrient content. This means that, while brown rice is more nutritious, it can also contain more arsenic.
Organic Rice and Arsenic
Even organic rice grown without the use of any herbicides or pesticides can contain arsenic. This is because of the naturally occurring arsenic found in the soil of paddy fields. Organic farming cannot eliminate the risk of arsenic from rice.
Does All Rice Have High Arsenic Levels?
As mentioned, brown rice has higher levels of arsenic than white rice. The level of arsenic in rice depends on where it is grown and the type of rice.
Rice with lower arsenic levels includes the following:
- Sushi rice grown in the USA
- Basmati rice grown in California, India, or Pakistan
Instant rice and quick-cooking rice also have lower levels of the toxin due to the processes they go through before packaging.
Is There Arsenic in Rice Products?
Many gluten-intolerant people rely on rice or rice products in their diet. There are also many rice-based baby foods because rice is easily digestible. Gluten-free foods that contain rice, and thus potentially arsenic, include the following;
- Rice-based baby formulas
- Snack foods made from rice
- Breakfast cereals made from rice
- Rice milk
- Brown rice syrup
- Rice bran
Which Other Foods Contain Arsenic?
Most foods contain some arsenic. Vegetables, for example, may contain arsenic, but the percentage depends on the area and circumstances in which they are grown. The amount of arsenic is usually extremely low. You also find it in poultry, red meat sources, dairy products, and seafood.
Do note that these arsenic sources tend to be of the organic kind. Rice contains the inorganic, more toxic form of arsenic, which is more harmful. It also contains much more arsenic than other food types.
The Effects of Arsenic from Rice on the Body
Exposure to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic can have serious health consequences. Arsenic is a carcinogen and may increase your risk of skin, bladder, and lung cancer. It may also elevate your risk of other types of cancer, like prostate, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal cancer.[4]
Consuming high quantities of inorganic arsenic may also increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. In pregnant women, it may have a detrimental effect on the survival of the fetus while negatively impacting birth weight. Babies born with a low birth weight may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease or neurocognitive issues later.
How Much Arsenic Puts You At Risk of Developing Health Issues?
Consuming 0.13 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per kg of body weight daily increases your risk of certain types of cancer or diabetes by approximately 3%. Most Americans, for whom rice is not a staple food, are below this amount.
People with gluten intolerance may consume much more rice or rice-based products than others, however. In such instances, they could explore the use of other grains with less arsenic, including oats, millet, amaranth, corn, flax, and buckwheat.
Children and babies are more seriously affected by arsenic from rice, partly because they eat three times more food per pound of body weight than adults. Unlike adults, they have also not developed enough to allow their detoxification systems to adequately deal with toxins.
Arsenic from Rice and the Detoxification Circuit
Toxin exposure puts major stress on your body. Your body’s response to this stress is the activation of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response. This stress response is your body’s effort to deal with the stressor using various mechanisms and processes.
One of these mechanisms is the breakdown of toxins and their subsequent excretion. One of the major organs involved in this process is the liver. But the body is not able to break down all these toxins, and they start to build up in the body.
A toxin buildup adds stress to an already overworked body. This could not only contribute to stress-related conditions like Adrenal Fatigue but also lead to diverse health issues that seem unrelated.
Health issues commonly associated with higher arsenic levels in the body include the following:
- Gastrointestinal issues like cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Cardiovascular issues like low blood pressure and an abnormal heart rhythm
- Neurological issues that may include muscle cramps, feelings of weakness, and tingling in the fingers or toes
- Certain types of cancer
- Respiratory problems
- Changes in your skin, e.g., pigmentation, thickened patches on palms and soles of the feet, and white lines on your nails
These health issues point towards a Detoxification Circuit in a state of distress.
How to Address Arsenic from Rice
One of the most logical conclusions when addressing the arsenic from rice issue is to look at rice farming practices. Instead of allowing water to flood a rice paddy, one could look at draining the contaminated water and then flooding the paddy with clean water.
This method may reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic built up in a field, but it increases the amount of cadmium in it. Cadmium is a naturally occurring toxic heavy metal. It is even more poisonous than arsenic and could cause liver and kidney disease and increase your risk of various types of cancer.
Like rice, cadmium enters rice paddies through various sources, including waste and fertilizer. Arsenic, however, affects cadmium’s toxicity and reduces the risk of the health issues posed by cadmium. It also helps your body with the removal of cadmium.
So, while arsenic can cause numerous health issues, it does help mitigate the effects of cadmium on the body.
The good news is that you can do something to limit your arsenic exposure from rice.
Choose Low-Arsenic Rice or Substitutes
When selecting your rice, make sure that you buy rice from regions where the rice has low arsenic levels. You could also vary the grains you use. Quinoa and bulgar wheat are great rice substitutes.
Prepare Your Rice Differently
How you prepare your rice can significantly reduce the arsenic and potentially cadmium levels.
- First, wash your rice thoroughly. Rinse it in clean water until the water no longer has a milky hue.
- Parboil your rice in clean water for 5 minutes, 4 cups of water for each cup of rice. Bring the water to a boil first before adding the rice.
- Discard the parboiled water.
- Refill with clean water, 2 cups for each cup of rice.
- Cook on low to medium heat until the water is absorbed.
Detoxification Strategies
One of the best ways of getting rid of arsenic and other heavy metals is by detoxifying. To do so, you can explore the use of glutathione, vegetable juicing, fulvic ionic minerals, and chlorella.
Glutathione for Detoxing
Your body makes glutathione from three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. Produced in the liver, it plays a role in numerous body processes, including supporting immune system function, building and repairing tissue, and making proteins and other essential chemicals.
Glutathione is also a powerful detoxifying agent.[5] It helps to get rid of toxins from the liver, kidneys, intestines, and lungs. LipoNano Glutathione is a great source of glutathione.
Vegetable Juicing
Fasting and drinking primarily juiced fruits and vegetables for up to three days may help you to remove toxins from your body.
They also contain nutrients that may help support the liver and kidneys. Talk to your doctor before you try fasting, however, as it has risks.
Fulvic Ionic Minerals
Fulvic ionic minerals contain high quantities of fulvic acid. Fulvic acid binds to toxins and heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium and helps with their removal from your body. By binding to toxins, fluvic acid makes them water soluble, which helps with easier elimination.
Adrenal Fulvic is a formulation that blends fulvic acid with vital trace minerals, amino acids, and iron, providing a well-rounded approach to detox assistance and nutrient replenishment during times of heightened metabolic demand.
Chlorella
Chlorella is a health supplement derived from green algae. It contains many different nutrients and vitamins often not present in food derived from plant sources. Chlorella is also a strong antioxidant that removes heavy metals from the body. It also boosts your immune system and improves skin health.
Supplements such as Chloro BC use chlorella with broken cell walls to improve nutrient absorption. Beta-carotene, vitamin B-12, iron, RNA, DNA, and protein are among its many components. It also helps in the binding and removal of heavy metals and provides a concentrated dose of vital nutrients to promote energy, immunity, and recovery during the detoxification process.
In Closing
While you cannot eliminate arsenic from all food sources, you can do much to limit your intake of arsenic from rice. Making informed choices about where the rice is grown, washing your rice well before cooking, and parboiling your rice may help.
Besides this, you can also investigate ways to support your body’s natural detoxification processes to reduce arsenic and other heavy metals. If you would like personalized guidance, you can contact the team at Lam Clinic to help you explore functional testing and a tailored wellness plan to support your overall toxic load and long-term health.
