Urgent warning over brown rice as new study reveals unexpected cancer link

We all know that we need to tread carefully with rice, which can cause food poisoning if not handled adequately – especially if it’s being reheated.

But there’s another danger that you may not have heard about, and that’s that some rice carries an increased risk of arsenic exposure. Yes, really.

Arsenic can be found in soil and water, which means it can sometimes be absorbed by foods as they grow.

Usually the levels are so low that it doesn’t cause much concern, but rice is thought to take in 10-20 times more arsenic than other cereal crops.

And a new study from Michigan State University, published in the journal Risk Analysis, has revealed that brown rice has even higher levels than white rice.

While this isn't a huge problem for most adults, it can be for young children, who consume ‘considerably more food relative to their bodyweights than adults’.

Brown rice was found to have higher levels of arsenic than white rice (MirageC/Getty Images)

“Brown rice is often considered a healthy alternative to white rice due to the additional nutrients contained within the rice bran,” the researchers explained in their abstract.

“However, the proposition of improved health outcomes by replacing white rice with brown rice in diets ignores a potential food safety concern: arsenic exposure.”

The study found that Americans who regularly consume brown rice versus white rice have ‘higher estimated arsenic exposures’.

This is all down to the fact that arsenic is mainly concentrated in the husk, which is removed during the processing of white rice.

“Brown rice retains much of the grain's nutrients found within the bran and the germ, including fiber, protein, niacin, and folate, with potential benefits to consumers,” the authors continued. “However, the bran and germ of brown rice also retain higher concentrations of certain harmful toxic elements such as arsenic, which are taken up from the soil during its cultivation.

“As a result, brown rice and its products, such as brown rice syrup, have a higher concentration of arsenic compared to white rice food products.”

They added: “This is of potential concern, because arsenic exposure - even at lower levels that do not cause acute toxicity - has been linked to a number of human health risks, including multiple cancers and cardiovascular disease.”

Arsenic is listed as one of the World Health Organization’s 10 chemicals of ‘major public health concern’.

Rice is thought to take in 10-20 times more arsenic than other cereal crops (Jamie Grill/Getty Images)

The WHO warns on its website that long-term exposure from drinking water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions, and has also been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

“In utero and early childhood exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive development and increased deaths in young adults,” it says.

It is also classified as a category 1 carcinogen by the European Union, which means it is known to cause cancer among humans.

However, the team behind the Michigan State University study stressed that the levels of arsenic exposure in rice should not worry the average person.

Professor Felicia Wu, the study’s senior investigator, said: “This research is important because it acknowledges the importance of considering food safety along with nutrition when consumers make choices about food.

“While we found that choosing brown rice over white rice would result in higher arsenic exposure on average, the levels should not cause long-term health problems unless someone ate an enormous amount of brown rice every day for years.”