Warning over rice that could be harmful to young children as scientists reveal ‘toxic’ truth
SOMEWHERE along the way, brown rice got a health halo – while its white counterpart was cast as the villain.
And in some ways, that reputation is deserved. Brown rice does contain more nutrients and fibre than white.
But calling it healthier overall might be jumping the gun.
Recent Michigan State research found brown rice has higher levels of arsenic – including the more toxic inorganic kind – than white rice in the US.
The levels aren’t a major concern for most adults.
However, they could pose a risk to infants and young children, who eat more rice relative to their body weight and are more vulnerable to exposure.
And chronic exposure to arsenic over a lifetime may increase cancer risk, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This research is important because it acknowledges the importance of considering food safety along with nutrition when consumers make choices about food,” said senior investigator of the study Professor Felicia Wu.
“While we found that choosing brown rice over white rice would result in higher arsenic exposure on average, the levels should not cause long-term health problems unless someone ate an enormous amount of brown rice every day for years.”
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the earth’s crust -but it’s also highly toxic.
Compared to other cereal grains, rice contains significantly more arsenic, taking up nearly 10 times as much.
That’s largely due to how it’s grown.
Rice is often cultivated in flooded paddies, and the wet conditions make it easier for arsenic in the soil to be absorbed by the plant.
While the nutritional benefits of brown rice are well documented, white rice is still the more commonly eaten variety.
For the new study, published in the journal Risk Analysis, Prof Wu and lead author Christian Scott looked at how much arsenic people are exposed to from eating brown versus white rice in the US.
They used dietary data from the “What We Eat in America” survey, plus figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and food safety institutes, to estimate average daily intake.
The results showed clear differences in arsenic levels between brown and white rice – and revealed regional patterns, pointing to where health risks might be higher.
The amount of inorganic arsenic – the more toxic kind – in rice varied significantly by region.
For US-grown rice, researchers found that 33 per cent of total arsenic in white rice was inorganic, compared to 48 per cent in brown rice.
Globally, those numbers rose to 53 per cent for white and 65 per cent for brown rice.
In contrast, organic arsenic – more commonly found in seafood and less toxic due to how easily it’s excreted – poses less of a concern.
The study suggested a potential health risk from brown rice for children under five – even as young as six months old.
‘Important ingredients’
“It’s important to not interpret these findings as evidence that brown rice is unhealthy, or that you should now consume only white rice,” Prof Wu said.
“Brown rice does contain important ingredients such as fibre, protein, and niacin, which all benefit consumers.”
Prof Wu emphasised that the research shouldn’t be viewed in isolation.
“This exposure assessment is only one side of the equation when examining the potential trade-offs between brown and white rice consumption,” she said.
“Even if arsenic levels are slightly higher in brown rice than white rice, more research is needed to demonstrate if the potential risks from this exposure are mitigated in part by the potential nutritional benefits provided by the rice bran.”
What is arsenic?
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust, but don’t let that fool you – it’s toxic.
It exists in different forms, but it’s the inorganic variety that’s the most dangerous – especially if consumed in large quantities over time.
This form can contaminate food and water, and rice tends to absorb a lot of it because of how it’s grown in flooded fields.
But arsenic isn’t just found in rice – it can also be present in seafood, especially shellfish like shrimp, oysters, and mussels.
These creatures absorb both organic and inorganic arsenic from the water.
Organic arsenic is less harmful and is easily excreted by the body.
When Can It Be Dangerous?
Small amounts of arsenic in food or water are usually not a big issue, but long-term exposure can lead to serious health problems.
According to the NHS, arsenic exposure is linked to an increased risk of cancers, heart disease, and skin issues.
If someone is exposed to a high dose of arsenic in a short amount of time – whether from rice, seafood, or contaminated water – they could experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea.
In extreme cases, this could even lead to organ failure and death.
Source: NHS + World Health Organisation (WHO)