New study focuses on arsenic in rice

[Guest guest]

New study focuses on arsenic in rice. By Rock Consumer Reports 6 December 2011 A new federally-funded study of more than 200 pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the New Hampshire area reports a link between rice consumption and elevated levels of arsenic in urine, suggesting that many people in the United States may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of arsenic through rice consumption. Rice is among the plants that are unusually efficient at taking up arsenic from the soil and incorporating it in the grains people eat. Moreover, much of the rice produced in the U.S. is grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas on land formerly used to grow cotton, where arsenical pesticides were used for decades....The study’s authors state that arsenic exposure during pregnancy is a particular public health concern. Exposure to this toxin in the womb has been linked to problems ranging from low birth weight and infant mortality to hampered immune function and increased death rates from lung cancer later in life. Arsenic exposure in early childhood also is especially harmful, and since rice-based infant cereals are often the first solid food babies eat, high levels of arsenic in rice are worrisome indeed....- - - - the study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

[Guest guest]

Would organic rices have this? Tammy F.

New study focuses on arsenic in

rice.

By

Rock Consumer Reports 6 December 2011

A new federally-funded study of more than 200

pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the New

Hampshire area reports a link between rice

consumption and elevated levels of arsenic in

urine, suggesting that many people in the United

States may be exposed to potentially harmful

levels of arsenic through rice consumption.

Rice is among the plants that are unusually

efficient at taking up arsenic from the soil and

incorporating it in the grains people eat.

Moreover, much of the rice produced in the U.S. is

grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,

Missouri, and Texas on land formerly used to grow

cotton, where arsenical pesticides were used for

decades....

The study’s authors state that arsenic exposure

during pregnancy is a particular public health

concern. Exposure to this toxin in the womb has

been linked to problems ranging from low birth

weight and infant mortality to hampered immune

function and increased death rates from lung

cancer later in life. Arsenic exposure in early

childhood also is especially harmful, and since

rice-based infant cereals are often the first

solid food babies eat, high levels of arsenic in

rice are worrisome indeed....

- - - -

the study was published

in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences

[Guest guest]

HI ,I'm not sure organic rice totally solves the problem, but it certainly is the better choice. It may be that the soil where the rice is grown in contaminated from years of growing other crops (and using arsenic based pesticides) So even if a farmer uses organic practices, the soil may be the culprit. Just another example of how there is toxicity everywhere. But obviously we can't avoid everything and organic, if you can afford it, is definitely the better bet.Best,Sylvia

About 8 years ago the first studies linking rice to arsenic surfaced leading me to switch our son to organic rice milk. Since then have only bought organic rice for our family.

Sent from my iPhone

[Guest guest]

This is absolutely true - it has to do the soil it is grown on. Rice from the

southern part of the US has tested the worst from what I remember. Here is a

link to an older article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1892142/

Previous studies showed that the rice that tested with the lowest levels of

arsenic were basmati rice from India and Pakistan, Jasmine rice from Thailand,

and organic brown rice from California. We stick with these types of rice.

The trickiest part for those who are gluten-free is all the substitute flours in

products like bread, etc. How to know where they are sourcing their rice from?

We won't give up rice here, but it fuels my commitment to make sure we have the

supplements and supports necessary to detox as much as possible.

It is so hard not to get discouraged about our environment and food supply.

Cathy

>

> HI ,

> I'm not sure organic rice totally solves the problem, but it certainly is the

better choice. It may be that the soil where the rice is grown in contaminated

from years of growing other crops (and using arsenic based pesticides) So even

if a farmer uses organic practices, the soil may be the culprit. Just another

example of how there is toxicity everywhere. But obviously we can't avoid

everything and organic, if you can afford it, is definitely the better bet.

> Best,

> Sylvia

>