Arsenic in Rice: What to know, and three habits that lower it

Published October 14th, 2026

A client asked me this recently after reading a news story, and it is a smart question. This summer, Consumer Reports tested 52 rice products from grocery store shelves and found measurable inorganic arsenic in every one. Rice does carry small amounts of arsenic, and a few simple kitchen habits can cut your exposure by half or more. You have real control over how much arsenic reaches your plate. 

Why Rice Holds More Arsenic 

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and groundwater. Rice is grown in flooded paddies, and that standing water makes arsenic easier for the plant to absorb. As a result, rice takes up roughly ten times more inorganic arsenic than other grains such as wheat or oats. 

Inorganic arsenic is the form that matters most for health. Long-term exposure is linked to bladder, lung, and skin cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The risk comes from steady intake over years, so the people who benefit most from these changes are those who eat rice daily or rely on rice-based products. 

Habit 1: Choose Lower-Arsenic Rice 

The type of rice and where it was grown make a meaningful difference. 

Brown rice is higher because arsenic concentrates in the outer bran layer. Brown rice also brings more fiber and minerals, so if you love it, the cooking method below lets you keep it on the menu with far less arsenic. 

Habit 2: Cook It Like Pasta 

Cooking rice in plenty of water and pouring off the excess removes about 40 to 60 percent of the inorganic arsenic, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Arsenic is water-soluble, so it leaves the grain and goes down the drain with the cooking water. 

The parboil method below, studied by researchers at the University of Sheffield, keeps the texture of absorption-cooked rice and removes about half the arsenic from brown rice and nearly three-quarters from white rice.

1. Rinse the rice well under running water. 

2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil for every 1 cup of rice. 

3. Add the rice and boil for 5 minutes. 

4. Drain the rice and discard that water. 

5. Return the rice to the pot with fresh water at your usual ratio (about 2 cups per cup of rice). 

6. Cover and simmer on low until the water is absorbed. 

One trade-off to know: enriched white rice loses some of its added B vitamins with this method. Eating a varied diet with other sources of B vitamins covers that easily. 

Habit 3: Rotate Your Grains 

Variety is one of the simplest ways to lower your total load. Swap rice for another grain a few times a week: 

Quinoa, oats, millet, buckwheat, or amaranth 

Barley or farro (if you eat gluten) 

Rice also shows up in places you may not expect. If you eat gluten-free, rice is often the base of breads, pastas, crackers, and baking blends. Rice milk, brown rice syrup, and rice protein powder add to the total too. Reading labels and mixing in products made from other grains spreads out your exposure. 

Who Should Take Extra Care 

Pregnant women. Arsenic from the mother's diet reaches the baby. 

Infants and young children. They eat more food per pound of body weight. Offer a variety of infant cereals such as oat, barley, and multigrain, and avoid rice milk as a main drink for young children. 

People who eat rice daily, including many gluten-free eaters and families for whom rice is a cultural staple. Anyone with a private well. Well water can carry arsenic too, so testing your water is a smart step, especially if you cook rice in it. 

The Bottom Line 

Rice can stay on your table. Choose lower-arsenic varieties, cook it like pasta, and rotate in other grains through the week. Those three habits together lower your exposure substantially with very little effort. 

Arsenic is one piece of a larger picture called toxic load: the total burden of contaminants your body processes from food, water, air, and products. At Eirene Integrative Wellness, I help clients look at that whole picture and build practical, sustainable habits that support the body's natural detoxification. If you would like personalized guidance, schedule a consultation at eirenewellness.com or call 919.746.6793. 

Dr. Carmen Llavona Hopkinson, PhD, BCDFM 

Eirene Integrative Wellness · Wake Forest, NC · eirenewellness.com 

Sources 

Consumer Reports rice testing, as reported by CP24 and Hoodline (July 2026) 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Arsenic in Food 

Menon et al. (2021), University of Sheffield, Science of the Total Environment: improved rice cooking approach 

Healthy Babies Bright Futures rice report, as reported by HealthDay 

Assessment of human dietary exposure to arsenic through rice (review) 

This post is intended for general education and does not constitute diagnosis or treatment. For guidance specific to your health, please consult a qualified practitioner.