Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Study: Brown Rice Contains Higher Arsenic Levels Than White Rice
Many perceive brown rice as a healthier dietary choice compared to white rice; however, new research suggests otherwise. Scientists have discovered that brown rice actually contains approximately 15 percent higher levels of arsenic, a toxic metalloid linked to serious health issues, including cancer and brain damage. This finding raises concerns about the potential health risks associated with consuming brown rice, especially for vulnerable populations.
Potential Risks for Young Children
While moderate consumption may pose minimal concern for healthy adults, researchers at Michigan State University caution that the increased arsenic levels in brown rice could present considerable hazards to young children. Developing brains are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of arsenic exposure.
The study indicates that children between six and 24 months old who consume brown rice exhibit roughly double the estimated arsenic exposure compared to those who consume comparable amounts of white rice.
Arsenic Exposure and Developmental Issues
Early childhood exposure to arsenic, a naturally occurring element within the Earth’s crust, has been associated with several developmental problems. These include lower IQ scores, impaired memory, learning disabilities, and more severe neurological conditions like autism and ADHD.
Professor Felicia Wu, the study’s senior author from Michigan State University, emphasized the importance of considering both food safety and nutritional value when making dietary choices. She stated, “This research is important because it acknowledges the importance of considering food safety along with nutrition when consumers make choices about food.”
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Wu also clarified, “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.”
Why Brown Rice Has More Arsenic
The elevated arsenic content in brown rice stems from the accumulation of this toxic substance in the grain’s outer layer, known as the rice bran. This bran layer, responsible for brown rice’s color, is removed during the milling process to produce white rice. Consequently, white rice exhibits a reduced arsenic concentration.
Study Methodology
Experts conducted a comprehensive review of existing research on the nutritional properties of brown rice and white rice. They further analyzed data from the ‘What We Eat in America’ database, compiled by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Joint Institute of Food Science and Applied Nutrition.
By analyzing rice consumption patterns across different age groups, researchers calculated the Average Daily Dose (ADD) of arsenic exposure. This calculation utilized a formula incorporating arsenic levels in rice, daily rice intake, and average body weight for various age groups.
This data allowed for a direct comparison of arsenic exposure between white rice and brown rice, with a specific focus on exposure patterns in children under five years old.
Inorganic vs. Organic Arsenic
The study revealed that inorganic arsenic comprised 48 percent of the total arsenic found in brown rice. Inorganic arsenic, a more dangerous form, occurs when the toxic substance combines with elements such as oxygen, chlorine, or sulfur, potentially causing greater harm than organic arsenic.
In contrast, inorganic arsenic constituted 33 percent of the total arsenic in white rice.
It is important to distinguish between the two forms of arsenic:
- Inorganic Arsenic: The more hazardous type, linked to cancer and developmental issues.
- Organic Arsenic: Less toxic, found naturally in some seafood.
Brown rice grown outside the US displayed even higher levels, with 65 percent inorganic arsenic concentration, while white rice from these regions showed a concerning 53 percent inorganic concentration.
Rice Bran and Arsenic Concentration
Rice bran, the defining outer layer of brown rice, showed approximately ten times higher arsenic concentrations compared to the rice endosperm, the white interior portion.
Findings indicated that infants and toddlers (six to 24 months) consuming brown rice might ingest arsenic at levels ranging from 0.29 to 0.59 micrograms per kilogram of body weight daily. These levels surpass the recommended safe limit of 0.21 micrograms.
Conclusion: Balancing Nutrition and Food Safety
“Rice bran and brown rice are shown to have a higher arsenic content and inorganic arsenic concentration than the grain endosperm or white rice,” the researchers concluded, highlighting the need to consider potential arsenic exposure when choosing between different types of rice, especially for young children.
Arsenic in the Environment and Rice Absorption
Inorganic arsenic, a toxic element, is naturally present in the Earth’s crust, found in soil, water, and food. Rice, compared to other crops, absorbs arsenic more readily, taking up nearly ten times more than other grains.
This increased absorption is attributed to rice cultivation in flooded paddies. These flooded conditions enhance arsenic availability through both water and soil.
Once absorbed through the roots, the toxic compound primarily accumulates in the outer layers of the rice grain, the rice bran.
White Rice Processing and Reduced Arsenic
The processing of white rice specifically removes the rice bran, thereby reducing its overall arsenic concentration. This removal process is what gives white rice its characteristic color and also lowers the level of arsenic.
Health Warnings and Long-Term Exposure
The FDA cautions that prolonged exposure to inorganic arsenic can lead to arsenic poisoning, skin disorders, and increased risks of various cancers, including skin, bladder, and lung cancers, as well as cardiovascular diseases.
Exposure during critical brain development stages (infancy and toddlerhood) is linked to adverse neurological effects, such as learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and lowered IQ, potentially contributing to conditions like autism.
Short-term exposure to very high levels of inorganic arsenic can induce nausea, vomiting, bruising, and nerve damage leading to numbness or burning sensations in extremities at any age.
Arsenic Exposure and Mortality Estimates
While precisely determining annual deaths from arsenic exposure in the US is complex, studies suggest that approximately 500 premature deaths from heart disease and 1,000 cancer cases annually may be attributable to arsenic exposure through drinking water.
In 2016, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reported three deaths due to arsenic poisoning in the US.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, arsenic contamination in drinking water affects at least 140 million individuals globally.