Rice takes up arsenic more easily and at higher levels than other plants, making it a source of arsenic for many people. If you follow a gluten-free diet your arsenic exposure from rice may be higher than those people who are not on a gluten-free diet.
Should you be concerned about arsenic on a gluten-free diet?
Yes. If you are gluten-free, be aware of your rice intake. Like most people on a gluten-free diet, rice is likely in a lot of your meals, baked goods, and snacks. Rice can have arsenic at levels that can cause significant health impacts later in life. When you can, vary your grains to reduce your rice intake. Eat foods that contain other grains, like oats, amaranth or quinoa.
Which gluten-free foods contain arsenic?
Rice is the main gluten-free food containing arsenic. If you eat a gluten-free diet, you may eat a lot of rice or foods made with rice, such as:
Vary your grains. Other naturally gluten-free grains provide better nutrition and do not take up arsenic when they grow. For instance: Quinoa, Oats, Corn, Flax, Amaranth, Teff, Millet, or Buckwheat.
Choose foods with less rice. When you buy packaged foods, be sure to check the ingredients label for the word “rice” and especially brown rice bran and brown rice syrups, because these products contain the highest concentrations of inorganic arsenic.
Switch out your rice. Some types of rice have less arsenic than others. When you want to eat rice, choose:
Eat a whole food diet. If/when you can, avoid processed foods and choose whole, single ingredient natural foods.
Cooking
Be sure the water you use for cooking rice does not contain high arsenic, since rice absorbs water as it cooks. You should not use water with more than 10 parts per billion of arsenic for cooking.
Rinse your rice before cooking. Rinsing your rice with lots of water also reduces the arsenic concentration.
Cook your rice like you cook pasta. Use six times as much water as rice and drain the rice after it is finished cooking to get rid of about half the arsenic.
Be Proactive
Read the recommendations on the Arsenic in Rice page to learn about other options to reduce your arsenic exposure through rice.
Eat a varied diet to make sure you’re getting balanced nutrition.
If you are a private well user, test your water for arsenic!
Review this site to better understand your total arsenic exposure.
Follow the What You Can Do action steps to reduce your arsenic exposure.
Why is rice in so many gluten-free foods?
Rice is the most commonly consumed grain in many gluten-free diets because it is so adaptable and has a low risk of gluten contamination. Unlike other cereal plants, rice naturally accumulates arsenic from the soil, making it a source of arsenic. If you follow a gluten-free diet, and your consumption of grains is primarily rice and rice-based baked products, your arsenic exposure may be higher than those who are not on a gluten-free diet. In addition, certain kinds of rice like brown rice, and syrups made from rice bran, contain higher amounts of inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of arsenic.
“Scientific analysis of food products indicates that foods containing brown rice, brown rice syrups and rice-based ingredients, such as many gluten-free products, have an increased concentration of inorganic arsenic and as a result, potentially present an arsenic exposure risk. Those on a gluten-free diet concerned about arsenic exposure should eat a varied, nutritious diet and stay informed about arsenic in food.”
Because rice is usually the dominant grain for people on a gluten-free diet, it is likely that people on a gluten-free diet have more arsenic exposure than those on a standard Western diet. Additionally, people with celiac disease may be more susceptible to health effects from arsenic due to nutritional deficiencies.
People who reported eating gluten-free had higher concentrations of arsenic in their urine, and mercury in their blood, than those who did not. The arsenic levels were almost twice as high for people eating a gluten-free diet, and mercury levels were 70 percent higher.
Inorganic arsenic compounds (such as those found in water) are highly toxic while organic arsenic compounds (such as those found in seafood) are less harmful to health. The immediate symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning include vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
Breathing in high levels of arsenic can cause a sore throat and irritated lungs. Swallowing high levels of arsenic can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness and cramping, skin rashes, and other problems. Exposure to high enough amounts of arsenic can be fatal.
Eliminating gluten may not only strip your diet of valuable nutrients, but also hinder the accuracy of tests for celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition in which gluten signals the body to attack the lining of the small intestine.
If you cut all gluten out of your diet, there's a risk that you could miss out on nutritious whole grains, fiber and micronutrients. Getting enough whole grains in your diet is especially important if you're at risk for heart disease or diabetes.
2. Dark-meat fish Inorganic forms of arsenic were 7.4% higher in people eating dark-meat fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish, and swordfish) once a week, compared to people who ate them less than once a month.
Bowel irrigation is another option. A special solution is passed through the gastrointestinal tract, flushing out the contents. The irrigation removes traces of arsenic and prevents it from being absorbed into the gut. Chelation therapy may also be used.
Chelation is central to natural detoxification of heavy metals, via formation of complexes, particularly with glutathione and other small molecules, and their excretion [20].
Vitamin C: Vitamin C can actually act as a chelating agent and help remove arsenic directly from the bloodstream. Vitamin B and C deficiencies have been linked to poor tolerance of heavy metals, making it easier for a person to have higher levels of toxicity.
Chelation therapy — Of all heavy metal detox products, chelation therapy is probably one of the most effective ways to reduce serious heavy metal exposure, especially metals like lead, mercury, aluminum and arsenic.
The half-life of inorganic arsenic in humans is about 10 hours [Rossman 2007]. Arsenic undergoes biomethylation in the liver. Approximately 70% of arsenic is excreted, mainly in urine [Rossman 2007]. Arsenic is excreted in the urine; most of a single, low-level dose is excreted within a few days after ingestion.
Since arsenic has a high affinity for keratin, the concentration of arsenic in nails is higher than in other tissues. Several weeks after exposure, transverse white striae, called Mees' lines, may appear in the fingernails.
Organic arsenic compounds are found mainly in fish and shellfish. In the past, inorganic forms of arsenic were used in pesticides and paint pigment. They were also used as wood preservatives and as a treatment for a variety of ailments. Today, usage of arsenic-containing pesticides and wood preservatives is restricted.
There are gluten-free and gluten-containing grains that have almost no inorganic arsenic, according to the U.S. Rice Foundation. For example, you could add amaranth, buckwheat, millet and polenta (or grits) to your diet, as well as bulgur, barley and farro.
Numerous studies have shown that diets that are gluten free tend to be deficient in protein, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, B12, zinc, selenium, and fiber. In addition, they are more apt to have higher levels of nickel, which is highly allergenic to some patients.
Our research revealed that, in general, quinoa has lower arsenic content than rice. It also has higher content of essential elements such as zinc, calcium and potassium. However, there are some varieties of rice that have low arsenic content, especially aromatic rice such as Kalijeera rice from Bangladesh [3].
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