Rice is one of the most popular foods in the world. This grain is rich in nutrients and fiber. But did you know that it absorbs 10 times more toxic inorganic arsenic than other cereals?
Grown in water, cereal absorbs the carcinogenic compounds naturally present in the soil. Contaminated groundwater is considered a threat to public health due to its high arsenic content. This compound is especially dangerous for young children.
There are several methods to reduce inorganic arsenic levels in rice using different cooking methods. However, it involves the loss of key nutrients.
In a recent study, a team of scientists from the University of Sheffield discovered a method that removes up to 54% of arsenic from brown rice and up to 73% from white rice. They named it the parboiling with absorption method (PBA).
Here we present it in detail:
- first, you need to boil four cups of water for each cup of rice
- then you have to add the rice and boil it for 5 minutes
- then, you have to discard the water that already contains the arsenic
- add two cups of fresh water for each cup of rice
- finally, you have to cook the cereal over low or medium heat
“With our new method we are able to significantly reduce the arsenic exposure while reducing the loss of key nutrients”
says study lead author Manoj Menon
The authors of the study emphasize that this method not only allows to conserve most of the nutrients such as potassium, magnesium or zinc, but also helps to save time, water and energy.
