Do you think about switching to brown rice to get additional nutrients? You can think again.
While the layer of bran packs more vitamins and minerals, scientists now warn that brown rice contains up to 40% more carcinogenic arsenic than white rice.
In the last test Risks published in the magazine Analysis scientists from Michigan State University conducted a comparative analysis of brown and white rice, factoring of costs, popularity, health benefits and potential risk.
Their arrangements It revealed a surprising hidden danger: brown rice contained 24% more total arsenic and about 40% more inorganic arsenic (known carcinogenic factor), increasing new fears about its reputation as a healthier choice.
In their comparative analysis, scientists emphasized that brown rice offers significant nutritional benefits, including a higher level of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. This was due to the reduced risk of cancer, lower cholesterol, improved blood pressure and support for heart health, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis and diabetes.
However, these health benefits have significant compromises. Brown rice is usually more expensive and less attractive in terms of taste and texture for some consumers, and most importantly, has a greater risk of exposure to arsenic, associated with genetic damage and increased risk of cancer.
Meanwhile, White Rice presents a more accessible and widely accepted option, attractive to a wider range of consumers in different cultures. Its processing removes a significant part of the outer layers of Arsena, which causes significantly lower levels of both total and inorganic arsenic. However, this also removes key nutrients, which leads to a reduced level of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other favorable compounds compared to brown rice.
Scientists also noticed that because young children consume much more food in relation to their body weight than adults, brown rice consumption in young children can increase the exposure of the arsenic transmitted by food. Given this problem, they recommend that parents consider balancing brown and white rice in the diet of young children to minimize potential health threats while ensuring nutritional benefits.
“However, there are no severe threats to public health for the general American population due to the exposure of arsenic rice. Risk analysis is necessary-the benefits are needed to assess the relative risk of exposure to the arsenic exposure to brown rice compared to nutritional benefits, compared to white rice,” the scientists said.