Arsenic in Brown Rice: Asians and Hispanic Affected More Than Average American

[AsahinaKimi]

he recent reports of increased levels of arsenic in brown rice raised concerns among consumers as to what extend this could affect their health and the health of their children. A recent analysis of federal data now found that especially Asians and Latinos are affected as they consume rice more regularly.

The analysis says that regular rice consumers have up to 44 percent higher levels of arsenic than those who do eat rice only occasionally. While Americans, on average, eat half a cup per day, Asian Americans eat two cups every day.

more..
http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/2244/20120920/arsenic-in-brown-rice-asians-and-hispanic-affected-more-than-average-american.htm

[99th_Monkey]

1. I wasn't aware it was ONLY BROWN rice that has the arsenic. Is that true?

The M$M report did not distinguish between brown, white, black rice ..
they just said "RICE" as in all rice.

Are you sure it's just brown rice?

[Zalatix]

4. Brown rice is the worst of it, because it's in the shells.

California rice is almost arsenic-free because they didn't have cotton plantations all around here. It was on the cotton plantations that the slaveowners sprayed to get rid of boll weevils. The arsenic in their pesticide has remained in the soil ever since.

[99th_Monkey]

6. Check out MoJo article I just found on the "arsenic in the rice" issue

very helpful. near as I can tell from this, it is ANY kind of rice,
if the rice farm used chicken poop fertilzer, which I think also
includes "central California".

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/09/waiter-theres-arsenic-my-rice

[Le Taz Hot]

12. I was wondering about this earlier.

Someone else posted a similar article earlier today. The article itself didn't provide enough information but I was wondering about California rice. That's the ONLY kind of rice I buy anymore -- mostly because I try to buy local, but this was just a huge bonus.

[Confusious]

2. What about basmati? That's my favorite. nt

[99th_Monkey]

9. Turns out it isn't so much the KIND of rice, but WHERE it was grown

check out this MoJo article, as it reveals it's ONLY rice
(pretty much any kind) that's grown in THE USofA.
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/09/waiter-theres-arsenic-my-rice

[global1]

3. I Read "Arsenic In Brown Rice" And All I Could Think About Is "Arsenic In Old Lace".....nt

[TheMightyFavog]

16. You're not the only one...

[marybourg]

5. And people with celiac disease, who can't eat wheat.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. But East Asians (Japanese, Koreans, some Chinese)

tend to favor white, short-grained rice, which is the kind that is dominant in California rice farms.

[AsahinaKimi]

10. One of my friends was always trying to get me to eat Brown rice and off white

Last edited Fri Sep 21, 2012, 05:04 AM - Edit history (1)

because she said it was more healthy. I sent her this article. Sometimes I mix a little in with white rice, but maybe I will hold back now that this has come to light.

[Berlum]

14. Brown rice is healthier

But since it is absorbing a substance used as a toxic pesticide on cotton, brown rice is no longer being grown in a clean natural environment.

Industrial ag is poisoning millions upon millions of acres of land with all kinds of toxic substances and genetically modified plants.

It will take humanity many decades to cleanse these foul toxic substances -- such as arsenic -- that have been spread on the land where we grow the food that we eat.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. Here's a family in Japan who grow organic rice

(無農薬米 )

http://agri-1.com/culture/hyaku/index.html

There are lots of others.

[mahina]

8. Ok but our whole state eats rice every day and we've

got great stats for longevity answer health.

aaaack! / thump.
nevermind!

[DeSwiss]

11. Damn!

- So it appears my choices are either eat GMO rice or arsenic-rice. Or maybe a third choice: "Grow all my own food.''

K&R


''Yes I'm full of GMOs.
Sorry.''

[dreamnightwind]

13. it's ok, the USDA has a great industry-friendly fix for this:

from the article referenced by the OP:

But as Nature reported in 2005, US rice carries "1.4 to 5 times more arsenic than rice from Europe, India and Bangladesh."

...

"Rather than encourage farmers to abandon the project of growing a food crop in arsenic-rich soil, CR adds, USDA "invested in research to breed types of rice that can withstand arsenic." Of course, breeding rice varieties that could survive in arsenic-rich soil also meant breeding rice that could take up plenty of arsenic."

[diane in sf]

15. Better eat organic rice.

[dreamnightwind]

18. I agree, but in this case it appears to be effected

"Now, unfortunately, chicken litter from large industrial operations is also commonly used as fertilizer on organic farms—which may explain why several organic products, like Lundberg brand short-grain organic brown rice (which I have in my pantry, via the bulk section of my local food co-op), appeared on CR's list with relatively high levels of arsenic. To its credit, however, Lundberg Family Farms, a major California producer of organic rice, is taking the issue seriously..."

...

"Urvashi Rangan, director of safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports, told me, "what we'd really like to see happen is for the FDA to get serious about getting arsenic out of chicken feed.""

edited to add: so although eating organic won't keep you from eating arsenic, you can eat a lot less arsenic if you eat rice not grown in the United States, because our chicken manure is contaminated with high levels of arsenic. We eat mostly Indian rice in our home, get big sacks of it at Costco.