Research has shown high levels of forever chemicals, arsenic, and lead in water samples across the U.S. This data comes from a nine-month investigation by Consumer Reports and The Guardian.

The passage of Clean Water Act in 1972 has made access to clean water a Government priority but millions of people are without safe drinking water. Contamination, deteriorating infrastructure, and inadequate treatment of water plants are all to blame for the lack of safe water. Inadequate drinking water is more common in lower-income areas across the country.

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Consumer Reports and The Guardian looked at water from 120 people across the U.S and tested for arsenic, lead, PFAS, and other contaminants. The samples collected come from water systems that service more than 19 million people. The data collected showed that 118 of the 120 samples had PFAS, arsenic levels above Consumer Report’s recommended maximum, or detectable levels of lead.

In response to the findings, Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson Andrea Drinkard says that 93% of the population supplied by community water systems gets water that meets “all health-based standards all of the time” and that the agency has set standards for more than 90 contaminants. That includes arsenic and lead but does not include PFAS.

We sampled tap water across the US – and found arsenic, lead and toxic chemicals

The Guardian breaks down all the data collected and goes into the health concerns the findings bring up. You can read that article here.

Despite warnings about the levels of arsenic in U.S rice potentially increasing cancer risk, a study by Harvard has shown that long term consumption of rice (white or brown) was not associated with a risk of developing cancer.

That being said, the levels of arsenic in brown rice has still been a cause for concern. Do the benefits of brown rice outweigh the risk?

My Daily Dozen recommendation of at least three servings of whole grains a day was associated with a 10 percent lower risk of dying from cancer, a 25 percent lower risk of dying from heart attacks or strokes, and a 17 percent lower risk of dying prematurely across the board, whereas rice consumption in general was not associated with mortality and was not found to be protective against heart disease or stroke.

Do the Pros of Brown Rice Outweigh the Cons of Arsenic?

Related: Stop Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

Many studies have found brown rice to have benefits. One study showed an improvement in insulin levels after five days of eating brown rice compared to white rice. Another study showed that eating a cup of brown rice a day could reduce weight, BMI, and diastole blood pressure.

You should be prioritizing fresh produce above grains in your diet to be as healthy as possible but you don’t have to completely cut out brown rice. Lundberg Farms, in California, produces brown rice with low levels of arsenic and continues to find ways to lower their arsenic levels further.

Related: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

The water bottle brand Starkey, produced by Whole Foods, has tested positive for high levels of arsenic according to tests from Consumer Reports. Starkey water is sold by Whole Foods and is also available at Amazon.

Consumer Reports tested dozens of water bottle brands and found that Starkey water contained high levels of arsenic, ranging from 9.45 to 10.1 ppb (parts per billion). These numbers are nearly 3 times higher than any other water bottle brand tested and is very close to the federal regulations limit of 10 ppb. Data was collected from 4 samples of water, and only one sample tested above federal regulations.

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Arsenic is a dangerous heavy metal that has been linked to health problems such as a higher risk of cardio vascular disease, cancers, and lower IQ scores in children. Experts do not believe that the federal regulations for arsenic protect the health of the public.

A 2014 study in the journal Environmental Health found that an arsenic level of 5 ppb or greater in a child’s household water supply was associated with a 5- to 6-point reduction in IQ, compared with those who lived in homes that had arsenic levels below 5 ppb.

Bottled Water Made by Whole Foods and Sold on Amazon Contains High Levels of Arsenic

Many consumers are paying more for bottled water under the impression that it is safer. New Jersey and New Hampshire have both lowered the level of acceptable arsenic in water to 5 ppb. Many consumers would probably be surprised to know that there are stricter regulations for arsenic in tap water than bottled water. California requires distributors to disclose if their water has arsenic levels higher than 5 ppb.

To know what’s in your water you can look at the companies water quality tests reports. Consumer reports has compiled a list of more than 120 water bottle brands.

Even though bottled water consumption causes massive environmental issues, consumers bought more than 391 billion liters of bottled water in 2017 (103 billion gallons). Bottled water sales have been on a steep rise for more than a decade with little signs of slowing down. The International Bottled Water Association says nation’s bottled water is the best selling bottled beverage in America. This is likely due to consumer concerns regarding the quality of tap water. And we should be concerned. Flint’s water still isn’t safe, and the EPA lied to Flint residents. But Flint’s not the only one:

If you live in the United States, there is a nearly one-in-four chance your tap water is either unsafe to drink or has not been properly monitored for contaminants in accordance with federal law, a new study has found.

America’s Tap Water: Too Much Contamination, Not Enough Reporting

Related:

• Drinking Bottled Water Means Drinking Microplastics, According To Damning New Study
• How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

Many people who are concerned with the environment love to tell us that tap water is perfectly safe and tastes just as good, and that buying bottled water is foolish. This is obviously nonsense. But some brands of bottled water aren’t safe either.

Consumer Reports looked at 130 bottled water brands and found 11 contained detectable arsenic levels.

High levels of arsenic in groundwater have been shown to cause cancer and other environmental illnesses. The federal standards set for allowable level for arsenic in drinking water is 10 parts per billion, and none of the brands exceeded this threshold. But research suggests that 3 parts per billion are likely to be dangerous to consume regularly. Regular consumption of even lower levels of arsenic over extended periods may lead to cardiovascular disease, cancers, and may lower IQ scores in children.

The investigation showed that some bottled water has more arsenic than tap most water municipals.

For this report, CR tracked down and reviewed hundreds of public records and test reports from bottled water brands, and from various federal and state regulators. We found that several popular brands sell bottled water with arsenic levels at or above 3 ppb; current research suggests that amounts above that level are potentially dangerous to drink over extended periods of time. CR believes the federal limit for bottled water should be revised to 3 ppb from the current federal standard of 10 ppb.

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports says that Starkey (owned by Whole Foods), Peñafiel (owned by Keurig Dr Pepper), Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, Volvic (owned by Danone), and Crystal Creamery and EartH₂0 showed arsenic levels of 3 ppb or higher.

It makes no sense that consumers can purchase bottled water that is less safe than tap water. If anything, bottled water—a product for which people pay a premium, often because they assume it’s safer—should be regulated at least as strictly as tap water.”

James Dickerson, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Consumer Reports.

Related: What’s the Best Water for Detoxifying and For Drinking?

The good news for bottled water consumers is that Consumer Report also found dozens of bottled water brands that showed no detectable levels of arsenic.

Check out Arsenic in Some Bottled Water Brands at Unsafe Levels, Consumer Reports Says for more information.

The number of people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is on the rise. When they eliminate wheat and other gluten containing grains from their diet, they usually significantly increase their consumption of rice. Unfortunately, as it is growing, rice soaks up heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, and cadmium from the soil and water. According to a new study,  researchers found those who have been on a long-term, gluten-free diet have double the amount of arsenic in their systems and 70% more mercury than their gluten eating counterparts.

The Metal Sponge

Why does rice suck up arsenic and other heavy metals? Rice is flooded while it’s growing, in part to keep weeds in check and to discourage pests. Water enables the rice’s root system to draw in more nutrients from the soil. As it draws up nutrients, it also sucks up other things in the soil, like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and tungsten.

Most of the rice in the U.S. is grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, and California on farmland that was formerly used to grow cotton. Arsenic-based pesticides were used on much of the land to combat boll weevils. Combine those specific pesticides with rice’s extraction abilities, and high levels of heavy metals are the result.

What to Look For in Rice

This does not mean a gluten-free diet dooms you to heavy metal poisoning. With some smart planning and healthy choices, a gluten-free diet can leave you feeling great.

Not all rice is created equal. Though organic rice still has arsenic in it, it’s the best choice to avoid excessive pesticides on top of the metals naturally found in the rice. Brown rice has higher levels of arsenic than white rice. The hull or bran of the rice that gives brown rice its’ higher levels of magnesium, fiber, zinc, and folate also stores arsenic. Of the places where rice is grown, Basmati rice that is grown in California, India, and Pakistan contains less inorganic arsenic.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Another answer to the rice problem? Eat less rice and a greater variety of gluten-free grains. Rotating rice with grains like quinoa or millet will both decrease arsenic exposure and increase your body’s exposure to another nutritional profile. The same rotation can be applied to alternate flours. If you chose processed or pre-made foods, look for ones with alternative flours like chickpea or coconut. Switching up the type of flour you use at home can also limit your arsenic intake.

Get Them Out!

There are also foods that pull heavy metals from the body. Garlic, onions, and cilantro all help detox heavy metals and add extra flavor to food. Other edibles like chlorella, spirulina, and activated charcoal are also great at attracting heavy metals and helping the body process them out. Learn about Diatomaceous Earth, Total Nutrition, and read Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol.

A Healthy Diet is The Best Defense

Someone on a gluten-free diet is more likely to eat rice and foods made with rice flour. The trade-off for this is higher levels of arsenic and mercury. This doesn’t negate the benefits of a gluten-free diet. It can even be seen as a motivation to incorporate new foods and grains into your diet. And check out How To Reduce the Arsenic in Your Rice by 80%.

Related Reading:

• Is Wheat Poison? What’s Behind the Rise of Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know
• Dangerously High Arsenic Levels Found in Rice
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth

Sources:

• Think Your Gluten-free Diet is Healthy? You’re Exposed to Twice as Much Arsenic and Mercury, Study Finds – Daily Mail
• The Trouble With Rice – New York Times
• There’s Arsenic in Your Rice — and Here’s How it Got There – Grist.org
• How Much Arsenic Is In Your Rice? – Consumer Reports
• Top 5 Foods That Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Plant-based Cooking Demos by Dr. Vanita Rahman – Lentils with Brown Rice (Image credit)

In the past year, many articles have been published to raise concern about the alarming levels of arsenic found in rice. Although arsenic levels should be a health concern for anyone who consumes rice, it is certainly more of a concern for those who eat rice frequently or on a daily basis.

High levels of arsenic are toxic to humans, and arsenic is associated with cancer, heart problems, developmental problems, and diabetes.

The Telegraph has published an interesting article about the safest way to prepare rice to eliminate most of the arsenic. Andy Meharg, a much-published scientist and a professor at the school of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, conducted an experiment comparing methods to cook rice. The telegraph article outlines the following methods:

1. Cook with 2 parts water to 1 part rice. Water is “steamed out” during cooking.
2. Cook with 5 parts water to 1 part rice. Excess water is washed off.
3. Soak rice overnight, then thoroughly rinse before cooking.

The article, which is sourced below, reported the results incorrectly. The article stated that choice #2 removed close to 50% of the arsenic while soaking (#3) removed 80%.

I was curious as to what percentage would be removed if the rice were soaked and it was cooked with a 5:1 water ratio so I questioned Professor Meharg directly. He stated that soaking and cooking with 5 parts water removed 80% of the arsenic (a combination of #3 and #2) was the action that resulted in the 80% reduction. He said he couldn’t tell me what soaking alone would do to reduce arsenic as that particular test was not conducted. He stated, “We did not check the intermediate stage, primarily as we were concerned with levels in the final product.” 

I’ve asked him to please let us know if he ever does test the arsenic levels after soaking before cooking. In the meantime, if we want to remove 80% of the arsenic, we need to do the following:

• Soak rice overnight and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
• Cook with 5 parts water and pour off the excess water after the rice is done.

There you have it: an 80% reduction in arsenic.

Recommended Reading:

• How Himalayan Salt Lamps Work
• Diatomaceous Earth – Mother Nature’s Secret Weapon: What Is It and Where to Find It
• Aluminum – The Silent, Pervasive, and Insidious Toxin Eroding Our Health
• Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know
• Dangerously High Arsenic Levels Found in Rice

Sources:

• How we are all cooking rice incorrectly – and could be endangering our health – The Telegraph
• Professor Andy Meharg – direct Q&A

What is Arsenic Anyway?

Arsenic is a naturally occurring, toxic element found in the earth. It is found in over 200 different minerals. There are two main types of arsenic: organic and inorganic. Organic arsenic compounds are primarily found in marine life, but they are also sometimes found in terrestrial life forms. Exposure to arsenic from organic sources is widely considered to be less toxic than exposure to inorganic arsenic.

A Poison Fit for a King

Arsenic has been used as a poison for centuries. Assassins have historically been very fond of arsenic because symptoms of arsenic poisoning resembled other sicknesses like food poisoning. The resulting death would look like natural causes. In low doses, arsenic poisoning could cause diarrhea, confusion, paralysis, or weakness. Arsenic was difficult to detect as it has little odor, almost no taste, and it doesn’t affect the color of food. How many kings and queens have died of arsenic poisoning? No one knows, but many historians speculate that kings and queens who died young rarely died of natural causes.

Where Does All This Arsenic Come From?

The majority of arsenic that we are exposed to is not of natural origin. Natural processes can bring arsenic into the atmosphere (such as volcano eruptions), but only one third of the arsenic in our atmosphere is of natural origin. Arsenic can be found in the earth’s crust, in deeply drilled wells, and in rocks, soil, air and water.

We Have Industry to Thank for This

Industrial activities such as mining, smelting, and the burning of coal in power plants all play a role in contaminating our environment with arsenic. Arsenic is produced commercially from arsenic trioxide, which is one of the leftover byproducts of smelting copper and other metals. Arsenic is commonly used by the timber industry as a preservative for treating wood. Arsenic is also an active ingredient in many insecticides and herbicides, and it is a common additive in chicken and swine feed (apparently it is used to fatten them up). The timber industry and agriculture industry account for over 90% of environmental arsenic pollution that is not due to natural processes.

No One Would Want to Die This Way

Consistent exposure to even small amounts of arsenic has been linked to several diseases, many of which are fatal. Arsenic is so toxic that it causes many different cancers, including skin cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer and prostate cancer. Over consumption of arsenic has also been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reproductive problems, and it is known to compromise the immune system.

How Arsenic Gets into Rice

Many plants can absorb arsenic from its environment and rice is one those plants. Rice absorbs high amounts of arsenic from the soil, from water and from pesticides. Unfortunately, with so much arsenic contaminating the soil and water, organic rice can contain dangerous levels of arsenic even though it has not been exposed to pesticides. Counter-intuitively, there are actually higher levels of arsenic found in brown rice than in white rice. This is because more of the arsenic is found in the outer layers of the grain. The outer layers of the rice are removed during the processing that turns brown rice into white rice. (This processing also removes the majority of the nutrition found in rice).

While the FDA Does Nothing, Consumer Reports Steps Up

Consumer Reports has been doing the job that the FDA should have been doing for a long time now. On their website, you can find recommended weekly allowances for rice consumption based upon the levels of arsenic that rice contains. There is no federal limit for levels of arsenic in rice (but there is a biological limit, and one of its many names is cancer).

Since 2012, Consumer Reports has been asking the FDA to set a limit for arsenic in rice, a request that has been ignored. Over the past couple of years, Consumer Reports have tested over 700 foods containing rice, and they have tested hundreds of different samples of rice grown in different regions. It turns out that knowing where your rice is grown is very helpful if you wish to avoid high levels of arsenic in your food.

Not All Rice Fields Are Created Equal

Rice grown in California, white basmati rice grown in California, India and Pakistan and sushi rice grown in the US typically has almost half of the arsenic content as rice grown elsewhere. Rice that is grown in the US (with the exceptions being Californian rice, quick cook rice and sushi rice) contain the highest levels of arsenic. Rice labeled as having been grown in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas also stood out as having very high levels of arsenic in it.

One company in particular stands out as being proactive on this issue. Lundberg Farms is located in California. Their CEO, Grant Lundberg, recently issued a statement about the high levels of arsenic found in rice.

“We recently updated the published levels of arsenic in our rice, which now covers three consecutive years of data. I am happy to report that the levels of inorganic arsenic continue to remain low, and average less than half of the standard established by Codex. We are also actively engaged in the development of a code of practice through Codex to help develop ways to reduce arsenic levels even further.”

Codex is an international standard. Once again, we have no standards to rely on from the FDA.

Conclusion

According to the USA Rice Federation, you should eat rice because the benefits outweigh the risks. These are the people who are selling us rice, so no surprise there. The FDA recommends that Americans consume a variety of grains, and they say they’re looking into the arsenic problem. We recommend that you limit the amount of grains in your diet, especially rice. Also when you eat rice, eat rice that is grown in California. A healthy diet consists of 80% raw produce, with more vegetables than fruits as the main staple of your diet – not grains of any variety.

Recdommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Intestinal Detox
• HM Complex – Pure Encapsulations
• Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula

Further Reading:

• Consumer Reports Found Unsafe Arsenic Levels in Rice and Poultry (especially brown rice)
• Poisoning the Mind: 7 Heavy Metals to Cleanse for your Mental Health (names, symptoms, research, common food sources)
• How To Detoxify From Vaccinations & Heavy Metals
• Top 5 foods that detox heavy metals and toxins
• Total Nutrition – Make Your Own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• What’s in Your Water?

 Sources:

• Arsenic: A Murderous History – Dartmouth Toxic Metals
• How much arsenic is in your rice? – Consumer Reports
•  Arsenic – Green Facts