How to make rice safer to eat
The reduction of toxic metals of various rice types by different preparation and cooking processes - Human health risk assessment in Tehran households, Iran.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Even after soaking for 12 hours and rinsed cooking, arsenic carcinogenic risk remained unacceptable.
Most assume thorough washing makes rice safe; this shows the most effective methods still leave dangerous levels of arsenic behind.
Practical Takeaways
Wash rice, soak it for 5 hours, then cook it in excess water and drain it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Even after soaking for 12 hours and rinsed cooking, arsenic carcinogenic risk remained unacceptable.
Most assume thorough washing makes rice safe; this shows the most effective methods still leave dangerous levels of arsenic behind.
Practical Takeaways
Wash rice, soak it for 5 hours, then cook it in excess water and drain it.
Publication
Journal
Food chemistry
Year
2019
Authors
K. Sharafi, M. Yunesian, R. N. Nodehi, Amir Hossein mahvi, M. Pirsaheb, Shahrokh Nazmara
Related Content
Claims (5)
If you soak your rice in water overnight and then throw out that water before cooking, you’ll end up with rice that has less of the harmful arsenic your body can absorb.
Washing and soaking rice helps reduce harmful lead and cadmium to safe levels, but it doesn’t cut down arsenic enough to make it safe from cancer risk.
Washing rice before cooking and using lots of water (like boiling it like pasta) removes more harmful metals like arsenic and lead than just cooking it in a small amount of water — so rinsed cooking is better at making rice safer to eat.
Soaking your rice for longer—like 12 hours instead of just 1—can wash out more of the bad stuff like arsenic and lead, making your rice safer to eat.
If you live in Tehran and want to eat less toxic stuff from your rice, try washing it really well and letting it soak in water for five hours before cooking it — this might help wash away harmful metals.