How could we get rid of the arsenic found in the rice? In this article we are going to tell you what’s the best way to do it. Some people always wash the rice before cooking it and there’s actually a scientific reason behind it. It’s not just about tradition or making it look clean, but this action can be very beneficial for your health. So, let’s see what’s the most efficient way to avoid arsenic.
Washing the rice could reduce arsenic
When you’re about to cook rice, you’ve probably seen that many people wash it before boiling it. Maybe you’ve wondered: why do they do that?
Well, there’s a reason behind it and it is called arsenic. It also helps remove dust, dirt, and even microplastics that might be on the grain after it’s been packaged.
And what is arsenic?
Arsenic is a heavy metal that naturally exists in the soil and water, so it is normal for rice —while it grows— to absorb a little bit of this metal. It can also appear due to certain human activities, like the use of chemicals in agriculture.
But don’t worry, you don’t have to stop eating rice because the amount of arsenic in rice is very, very low. It’s not something that will harm you from eating rice once or twice a day.
What an expert says
A food engineer named Marian Zapién explains that nothing happens if you don’t wash the rice. You’re not going to get poisoned, or sick, or anything like that.
For arsenic to be truly dangerous, you would have to eat more than half a kilo of rice every day for over 4 years. Can you imagine that? It would be like eating a mountain of rice daily. So you can be calm and keep eating rice.
So… why is it recommended to wash it?
Washing rice isn’t a must, but it is recommended to do this practice since it has several advantages for our health, such as:
- It removes part of the arsenic that might be in the grains.
- It gets rid of dust that accumulates during packaging.
- And it also helps remove microplastics that might stick during the industrial process.
Marian Zapién recommends washing the rice at least three times, or until the water comes out completely clear. That’s a good trick to know it’s clean, isn’t it?
And does cooking help too?
Yes! Washing rice is not the only way to help reduce arsenic, the cooking process of boiling rice with enough water also reduces the levels of arsenic. If you wash it well and cook it properly, you can reduce up to 45% of the arsenic it might have. So if you combine both steps (washing + cooking), you’re doing a good job cleaning your rice as much as possible.
Now you know! Washing rice is more beneficial than you might have thought before this article. This way you would be rinsing off dust, lowering the amount of arsenic and getting rid of other tiny particles.
One important thing is not to be obsessed with this, it doesn’t matter if you forget to wash it one day, nothing bad will happen. Remember the levels of arsenic are very low and not harmful to your health. If you want to be extra careful, just wash your rice 2 or 3 times until the water runs clear, and cook it properly. That way, you’re making a simple choice that can make your food even cleaner and, now, you understand exactly why. Are you part of the team that washes the rice before cooking it?