Arsenic risk in rice: Expert advice for safer consumption
Rice is an ingredient found in many dishes that children enjoy. It also serves as a base for ready-made cereals, wafers, and drinks. It's considered healthy and easily digestible. Recently, a nutritionist has brought attention to an important issue regarding rice.
Anna Jedrej, a clinical nutritionist, revisited the topic of rice on her Instagram profile. Some time ago, she recorded a video emphasizing the importance of proper storage. She pointed out that leaving cooked rice on the kitchen counter at room temperature is a serious mistake. It provides an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria responsible for food poisoning. What was the expert concerned with this time?
The amount of rice is important
In her latest video, the nutritionist posed an important question to parents: Do they pay attention to the amount of rice in their infants' or young children's diets? Rice is found in many products, including drinks, wafers, cereals, porridge, and desserts. It has a neutral taste and rarely causes allergies, so manufacturers often choose it. So, where does the danger lie?
It’s good to diversify the diet
The nutritionist pointed out the presence of arsenic, a chemical element that naturally occurs in the soil. Recently, there has been increasing awareness of its potential health risks.
- Rice tends to accumulate inorganic arsenic due to its specific physiology and cultivation conditions – it is grown in flooded fields that often contain natural arsenic or arsenic from soil and water pollution – says Anna Jedrej.
Children are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of arsenic. Their bodies are in a phase of intense growth, which also means faster absorption. Both white and brown rice contain significant amounts of arsenic. It's also present in all products based on this grain. The nutritionist cites studies showing that children whose diets contained too much arsenic had poorer IQ, memory, and intellectual abilities. However, she asserts that there is no need to eliminate rice from the diet. Her point is to monitor the amount consumed and not to eat it daily. She stresses the importance of including other grains, such as oats or barley, in the diet. Good alternatives include products based on quinoa or amaranth, which do not contain as much arsenic as rice. She also mentions methods that can help reduce the arsenic content in rice.
What does the nutritionist recommend?
- Rinsing rice before cooking until the water becomes almost clear,
- Soaking rice for several hours before cooking,
- Cooking rice in a large amount of water (1:6 ratio) and then draining the water,
- Using polished rice, which can contain up to 50% less arsenic.
