- White Rabbit
- Posts
- The hidden dangers in your rice
The hidden dangers in your rice
All about the right choice and method of cooking rice
Kos Zharoid
January 19, 2025
“Why pick sides when you can dance in the middle?"
Choosing the right rice isn't just about taste but your health. The type of rice you choose - and how you prepare it - can make a huge difference in your health. Learn the right way to enjoy rice without the hidden dangers.
Rice is one of the world's most popular and widespread grains. The Asia-Pacific region produces and consumes 90 percent of the world's rice.
Brown or White?
Unpolished rice has brownish-colored grains. When these grains are polished, the outer shell and germ are removed, giving the rice a white color. Many minerals and vitamins are found in the rice's outer shell, so brown rice contains more nutrients. However, the presence of nutrients doesn't guarantee their absorption when consumed, as they are in a bound form (phytates).
Although rice polishing is now actively done using modern equipment, rice was cleaned of its shell manually for hundreds of years before this. The manual polishing process was labor-intensive; only the wealthy could regularly consume white rice. Nevertheless, rice usually always had some degree of hull removal, which was done by hand.
This means consuming rice with varying degrees of hull removal is acceptable, from brownish to white. As long as your diet is rich in animal products and fat-soluble vitamins, there's no problem with the occasional consumption of white rice despite it being a refined grain.
Many people note that brown rice is difficult to digest, feels "like a stone" in the stomach even with proper lengthy preparation, and is unpleasant to taste. A good compromise is semi-polished rice, which retains some minerals but is easier to prepare and digest. This rice belongs to the "Devzira" variety.
You shouldn't force yourself to eat brown rice if you experience digestive discomfort after eating it.
Glyphosate and other toxic pesticides.
Rice, like all grain, is treated with pesticides. There is a higher content in the grain's hull (and therefore in unpolished grain). To avoid consuming them with grain, you must choose organically grown rice, for which other, safer pesticides are used.
Talc and glucose.
Polished rice can be treated with talc and glucose. In some countries, such treatment of rice is already banned. Talc consumption has a carcinogenic effect. Buy quality rice without any processing except polishing, choose quality organic rice, and always wash it thoroughly.
Arsenic.
Rice tends to accumulate heavy metals during cultivation, particularly arsenic. Soil contains arsenic, so consuming some amount of it can be considered inevitable. However, when soil has high arsenic levels due to contamination, it will also be higher in rice. Unfortunately, an organic product doesn't guarantee low arsenic content. Unpolished rice has higher inorganic arsenic content than white rice.
Any ready-made rice products are a potential source of large amounts of arsenic. Frequent rice consumption can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning.
If you think you live in a modern country and your food is checked for safety so arsenic doesn't threaten you and your children, prepare to be disappointed.
The research found that 75% of rice-based products tested in Australia had concentrations of arsenic that exceeded the EU guideline for safe rice consumption for babies and toddlers.
When testing children's rice products in Great Britain for arsenic content, it turned out that 35% of these products would be banned for sale in China, where the limit for inorganic arsenic is 0.15 mg/kg. EU and US food regulations on arsenic are non-existent. When baby inorganic arsenic intake from rice was considered, median consumption (expressed as microg/kg/d) was higher than drinking water maximum exposures predicted for adults in these regions when water intake was expressed on a bodyweight basis.
Most people shouldn't completely exclude any food groups. But a small child doesn't need porridge when introducing solid foods! Don't think that someone cares that much about our children's health. Rice porridge does not offer irreplaceable benefits for a small, growing body and certainly doesn't outweigh the possible harm from arsenic toxicity.
A study of soaking's effect on arsenic content in brown rice found that soaking effectiveness depends on water temperature (warmer is better) and duration (soaking needs to be for several hours).
This method removes about 40% of arsenic from rice, mainly inorganic arsenic (which is more toxic).
Gut health is just the beginning with Metabolic Daily, a multi-strain probiotic designed to kickstart your metabolism to help your body do more with the food you eat. But don’t just take our word for it. “Metabolic Daily is my go-to probiotic for keeping my energy levels up,” says Halle Berry, award-winning actor. Formulated with Akkermansia muciniphila and other next-generation strains, Metabolic Daily boosts metabolism* and sustains energy levels to help maintain a healthy weight.
“White Rabbit” readers get 20% off their first month of any Pendulum membership. Discount auto-applied at checkout.
How to prepare?
Unpolished or partially polished rice:
Rice contains little phytase, so it must be fermented for effective pre-preparation. Soaking in water alone is not enough.
Pour 3-5 parts of warm water (preferably) over 1 part rice, add 1-2 tablespoons of live whey (or fermented vegetable brine or any fermented dairy product), and leave in a warm place for 20-24 hours. Drain the water, rinse the rice well several times, and cook according to the recipe.
Unpolished rice can also be pre-sprouted by rinsing it every 8 hours and keeping it moist for 2-3 days.
White rice:
Fermentation isn't necessary, but soaking in water for 1-3 hours before cooking is recommended, followed by thorough rinsing several times.
Soaking and rinsing significantly reduce arsenic content and wash away talc residue.
How to consume?
Always add good fats (bone broth, butter, fatty meat or fish, eggs) and vitamin C sources, such as vegetables (excellent if fermented) or fruits.
Avoid:
Ready-made rice products: cookies, crackers, flakes, etc.
Rice "milk"
Rice syrup
Ready-made rice porridge for children
Rice flour should not be consumed often and regularly, as you also cannot get rid of arsenic in it.
From our archive:
Did you miss this gem? Discover the health benefits of rice and carbs:
Warm regards,
Kos and Helen.
Health and nutrition disclaimer: click here.
Reply