Arsenic, Rice & You.

[gracezw]

Jeff, thanks! I read your arsenic and rice web page. It is great with a new update.

Thanks to everyone too! I really appreciate it.

[JeffN]

Jeff, thanks! I read your arsenic and rice web page. It is great with a new update.

Thanks to everyone too! I really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[geo]

While this is interesting and goes well with the other info in this thread, it leaves some questions.

1. If all this soaking and washing removes 80% of the arsinic from the rice, what else is being leached out? Are nutrients also going down the drain?

2. This process takes a lot of water. With over night soaking and then rinsing/washing and then cooking in 5:1 water/rice ratio's where much of the water is just steamed out or thrown out down the drain. Doesn't seem very ecologically friendly especially in areas where water can be a precious comodity (if thats not already the case just about everywhere).

3. The process also takes some time and forethought just to prepare a simple basic staple like rice.

4. How dangerous to us is the arsinic in rice. Afterall, there are billions of folks eating rice as their main staple in the world, but I can't remember the last time I seen headline news on people suffering/dieing from arsinic poisoning through rice.

5. While the article talked about rice in general (and showed white rice in particular), the real issue I believe is with brown rice and then more specifically with brown rice grown in specific areas, such as in Arkansas, but not so much in Cali. And it didnt make any statement on the fact that organic rice is just as susceptible because a lot of arsinic issues are ground related and not just chemical residue related.

6. In the end, is it worth it being worried over it? We already can't get people to simply eat proper foods (MWL), will this really make a difference in our overall health or is it just another of the many distractions we already suffer from (oragnic vs inorganic, types of pots and pans and coatings, fresh vs frozen vs canned, low fat/carb/protein, bottled/flitered water, high/low glycemic index/load, gluten, FODMAP, and on and on and on, never seeming to end.

For me, all your previous advice is golden: eat the McDougall way for years, making sure its a natural part of your lifestyle first. Then, after a few or ten years, maybe reconsider all these other side issues as a part of your healthy lifestyle. But definitely don't obsess or be distrated by them.

Health is easy, our brains make it difficult...

[JeffN]

These posts are nothing new and are over 5 years old. This thread was started in 2012.

Either I am missing the point of your post or I think you may be missing my overall perspective in regard to the arsenic issue.

If so, I would recommend re-reading my threads & links.

If you think arsenic is an issue, and want to reduce the potential risk of exposure as much as possible , then yes, it is one of the steps you can take.

"Long-term consumption of total rice, white rice or brown rice was not associated with risk of developing cancer in US men and women."

I'm not losing ANY sleep over the arsenic thing,

Me neither

In Health
Jeff

[astirle]

Thanks for this info Jeff.

I always rinse the rice but now I'll think about soaking it as well!
There's always something more to learn on this site, what a wonderful resource for everyone (from everywhere).

[Pumpkin Pete]

I buy brown rice from India off of Amazon for a very decent price and cook it "pasta style", as I call it. Cooking it like that makes the best rice I've ever had.

Three years' ago I began using Jeff's method of cooking brown rice. Prior to that I didn't achieve consistent results. Using Jeff's 'pasta style' has resulted in perfect brown rice every time - without exception. Now when I cook brown rice I cook up 500 grams at a time (that's just over a pound) and then separate the rice into a number of portions.
Jeff's method of cooking brown rice is probably the most useful advice I have adopted from this board.