Asians eat rice all the time and are way leaner than the average American – so chances are this all-natural food can be part of your fat-burning diet. But since 2012, concerns about its arsenic content appeared in the media. Can we still eat it safely?
Is Rice A Fat-Burning Food?
First things first. Rice is a source of carbs, so it needs to be eaten strategically. Asians may eat it “all the time”, but they are also a lot more active than the average American. Is there a type of rice that is more efficient to burn fat? It’s hard to say, because each shows different pros and cons…
So while technically brown rice and wild rice contain more minerals, they also contain more phytic acid which prevents your body from absorbing these minerals. That may explain why some traditional cultures (Africans and the Thai) always removed the bran before eating rice. Whatever kind you choose, you should always rinse your rice – and even soak it overnight – before cooking it.
The Whole Deal About Arsenic In rice
In 2012, Consumer Reports found that a lot of rice products contain concerning levels of arsenic. The USA Rice Federation tells consumers that arsenic is naturally contained in a lot of food products. They are only partially right – these rice products also contain a lot of inorganic arsenic, a kind of arsenic classified as a carcinogen by the EPA. Also, while there is no federal limit for total arsenic in most foods, the safe limit is 10 ppb for drinking water. According to Consumer Reports’ tests, some rice brands contain so much arsenic that eating only ¾ cup of cooked rice could fill 94% of your safe daily limits. Because the EPA estimated that rice contributes 17% of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic, we can guess that most people get way too much exposure already.
Where Does This arsenic Come From Anyway?
Don’t worry. No one puts arsenic in your food on purpose. Rice naturally absorbs arsenic from soil or water much more effectively than most plants, and stores it in its grains. Part of the arsenic exposure is simply due to arsenic-containing minerals in the earth, but humans are more to blame than the nature for the current arsenic mess in the US. Since 1960, about 800,000 tons of inorganic arsenic has been used in agriculture and industries. While its use has been banned in the 1980s, residues remain in most soils. Also, arsenic ingredients are still used in animal feed to prevent disease and promote growth – on top of poultry waste fertilizers that can contaminate crops with inorganic arsenic.
Tricks To avoid It
Don’t lose all hope of ever eating sushi again. There are many ways to avoid arsenic or at least reduce the arsenic content in your rice.
1. Rinse your rice
Not only will it remove saponins, a compound that’s hard to digest – it will also reduce the arsenic content by more than 25%.
2. Check your water
Rinsing your rice will help reduce the arsenic content – except if your water is already very high in arsenic. Check your municipal water report and make sure it’s not the case.
3. Prepare your rice like pasta.
If you cook and drain your rice like you would with pasta, you’ll reduce the arsenic levels by over 50%.
4. Choose the right rice
Imported basmati or jasmine rice contain way less inorganic arsenic than rice grown in the US. Also, white rice contains less arsenic than brown rice.
5. Limit rice in baby food
Never feed your toddler with more than one ¼ cup serving of rice cereal per day.
Summary
- Like any other carb source, you must eat rice strategically.
- Brown and wild rice contain more fiber and nutrients, but these nutrients are hard to absorb. White rice is easier to digest but contains little to no nutrients.
- Whatever kind you choose, always rinse your rice or even soak it overnight before cooking.
- A lot of rice brands in the US contain dangerous levels of arsenic. Stick with imported rice and make sure to always prepare it properly to reduce arsenic content.
