Many people love to eat rice in their diets. Most eaters of rice have healthier diets-they take in more fruits and vegetables. Alls not well in Riceville. It turns out, the grain is often tainted with carcinogenic metals, especially when crops are grown in once industrial areas. In China, the concern is cadmium, a metallic compound that may cause cancer and kidney disease. In fact, a Greenpeace East Asia tests found unsafe levels of cadmium in 12 of 13 rice crops sampled. Stateside, arsenic is the enemy, though the FDA has so far deemed levels too low to cause immediate adverse health effects. Still, fear is growing that tainted rice poses major health risks. Arsenic is a carcinogen, as is cadmium. Small amounts over a long time will increase cancer risks. There are things you can do if you want to avoid metallic rice. The best rice is from Africa-Egypt, Ghana, and Tanzania are the lowest. Its not widely available in the US. Instead look for basmati from India, Pakistan, or Nepal. White rice is less tainted than brown rice. Arsenic concentrates in the outer grain-the hull germ, and bran-which are all removed from white rice, leaving it less toxic. For US brands, stick with California grown. Rice planted where arsenic-based pesticides were once used on cotton crops (think Arkansas and Louisiana) is more likely to contain the metal.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 09:30:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015