According a recent report by Healthy Babies Bright Futures, a non-profit organization working for children’s exposure to harmful chemicals, Indian Rice varieties including Basmati and Thai jasmine have been found lowest levels of arsenic-a toxic metal associated with cancer and other hazardous diseases. However, rice varieties grown in United states have been detected containing highest arsenic levels.
Furthermore, in a report by New York Times, Margaret Karagas, a professor of epidemiology at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine asserted: “findings of the report are particularly worrying for populations most vulnerable to the toxic effects of arsenic: pregnant women, young children, and people who consume rice frequently”.
Findings of Researchers who tested rice varieties
For the meticulous comparison, 145 rice products from Amazon and retail chains such as Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Costco, and Target have been tested by the researchers. Interestingly, the samples carried rice variety from US and imports from numerous countries along with testing several other grains such as quinoa, farro, couscous.
Evidently, inorganic arsenic has been found in all the rice samples. Surprisingly, one-third of these samples surpassed the FDA’s safety limit for arsenic in infant rice cereals. The arsenic levels in other grains have been found 28 times lower than the varieties of rice tested.
In addition to that, white rice due to its outer layers of bran and germ, has been found containing less arsenic than Brown rice due to its intact outer layer after harvesting. Notably, White rice from California, jasmine rice from Thailand, and basmati rice from India have been found containing lowest levels of arsenic. In contrast, the arborio rice from Italy and white and brown rice from the south eastern US have shown Highest levels of arsenic.
Arsenic levels vary due to the region and type
A report by New York Times stated a quote given by Felicia Wu, professor of food safety and risk assessment at Michigan State University, US who found environmental factors, a major reason behind the varying of arsenic levels. “It’s mainly because of the amount of arsenic in the soil and water” she said.Moreover, she added: “Rice plants are particularly susceptible to absorbing arsenic due to their growth in water-flooded paddies”.
Are Higher Levels of Arsenic Dangerous ?
The most serious risks are for, as arsenic can hinder growth and cognitive development. Arsenic- the toxic heavy metal has been considered dangerous for Infants and toddlers who frequently consume rice cereals and snacks in major quantities, leading them towards vulnerability. Apart from this, the growth and cognitive development of fetuses and young children can be hindered by arsenic levels. Karagas of Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine has asserted that there is no known safe level of arsenic exposure. Additionally, low-level exposure in the long term can intensify the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and several cancers.
Measures to Adopt for The Reduction of Arsenic Levels
Undoubtedly, the arsenic cannot be eliminated completely due to its natural presence in environment but some measures can be adopted to reduce its levels.
- There are several other grains which can become a good substitute to rice like oats, millet, barley, or quinoa for infants and toddlers.
- Boiling your rice in a significant amount of water and then draining it could help in the reduction of arsenic levels more than 50%, as suggested by FDA.
- Installing a reverse osmosis filtration system for testing if highest arsenic levels have been found in water.