Arsenic is naturally found in soil, and it can make its way to drinking water and food crops. Dr Andy Meharg a professor of molecular biosciences at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, said that due to how rice is grown, they have ten times the amount of arsenic than any other food crops.
Arsenic has been linked to cancer and other health problems before because of its toxicity. According to a 2014 consumer Reports study, those who had rice as part of their diet had 44% higher levels of arsenic in their urine than those who do not eat rice.
Now, a new study released in Science of the Total Environment showed that arsenic could be reduced by over 50% in brown rice and 74% in white rice if it is cooked in a certain way. The good thing is that although arsenic is removed, it does not affect the level of micronutrients in the rice.
Parboiling With Absorption Method (PBA)
The new study tested different types of cooking rice following the research from the University of Sheffield which found that 50% of rice consumed in the United Kingdom intended for infant consumption exceeded the European Commission's required levels of arsenic.
The scientists from the Institute for Sustainable Food found that a home-friendly way of cooking known as "parboiling with absorption method" (PBA) could remove most of the arsenic on rice while keeping the micronutrients.
This method involves parboiling the rice in pre-boiled water for five minutes and draining it then adding fresh water and cooking it under low heat to absorb all the water, Phys.org reported.
The researchers believe that this study is good news for many people, especially those who consume rice as there are genuine concerns about the health hazard that arsenic in rice could bring. Previous research has shown that cooking rice in excess water could remove arsenic, but the only problem is that it also removes the nutrients in it.
Dr Manoj Menon said that they aim to optimize the method in removing the arsenic in rice while also retaining the micronutrients in it. They highly recommend this method in preparing rice for infants or children as they are the most likely vulnerable to arsenic exposure.
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Arsenic in Rice
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified arsenic as a Group 1 carcinogen because it can cause damage to every organ, cause skin lesions, diabetes, cancer, and lung diseases.
Being a water-soluble element, it easily accumulates in drinking water and food crops, most especially in rice which has ten times more arsenic than other cereals. Arsenic is concentrated on the outside bran layer that surrounds the endosperm of the grain.
That means the unmilled and unpolished brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice. However, the milling process also removes most of the micronutrients in rice or about 75%-90% of its nutrients.
Even though data suggests that brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, its arsenic levels are still too high. But with the new method of cooking rice, the researchers hope it can significantly reduce the arsenic exposure of people while also reducing the loss of critical nutrients.
Check out more news and information about Rice on Science Times.
