The Claim

The combination of washing rice five times, soaking for 5–12 hours, and using the rinsed cooking method is associated with the greatest reduction in arsenic, lead, and cadmium concentrations in cooked rice, as determined by laboratory measurements in Tehran households.

Source: The reduction of toxic metals of various rice types by different preparation and cooking processes - Human health risk assessment in Tehran households, Iran.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
44score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Correlation
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Washing rice five times, soaking it for 5 to 12 hours, and cooking it with rinsed water results in the lowest levels of arsenic, lead, and cadmium in the cooked rice, based on laboratory tests conducted in Tehran households.

See the scientific wording

The combination of washing rice five times, soaking for 5–12 hours, and using the rinsed cooking method is associated with the greatest reduction in arsenic, lead, and cadmium concentrations in cooked rice, as determined by laboratory measurements in Tehran households.

Why this might work

When rice is soaked in water for many hours and washed repeatedly, the toxic metals inside the grains dissolve into the water. The more times the rice is rinsed and the longer it soaks, the more of these metals leave the grain and get washed away. When the rice is cooked in a large amount of water that is then thrown out, the metals that dissolved stay in the water and are removed from the food.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: The reduction of toxic metals of various rice types by different preparation and cooking processes - Human health risk assessment in Tehran households, Iran.

    Scientists found that washing rice, letting it soak for up to 12 hours, and cooking it in lots of water that you throw away removes the most toxic metals like arsenic and lead. The longer you soak it, the better it works.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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