There has been increasing concern about the amount of arsenic in rice products, especially when it comes to rice products for youngsters.
If you are eating strict Paleo, there is nothing to fear about. However, many individuals in the paleo group think rice is relatively harmless and most individuals can “tolerate” it. Personally, if I’m going to eat some carbohydrates, I’ll choose something a lot more tasty instead of merely a filler.
However, if you fit in the category of seeking to eat rice, you have to see this article that our buddy Chris Kresser wrote about arsenic in rice. Here is an excerpt:
“Brown rice… has substantially more arsenic than white rice and may be avoided or consumed rarely. Some of the brown rice brands examined contained no less than 50% greater than the safe limit per serving, and a few even had nearly double the safe limit. Be aware that some of the toughest violators for arsenic are produced from brown rice: processed rice products like brown rice syrup, brown rice pasta, rice cakes and brown rice crisps. These processed products are usually consumed by people undertaking a “healthy” whole grain rich or gluten-free diet, nonetheless they clearly pose a considerable possibility of arsenic overexposure, especially if someone eats several servings every day. Clearly, brown rice is not a food that should be a nutritional choice, or even consumed regularly.”
You may see the whole article here.
Does this mean you are getting arsenic ever time you eat rice? Yes, however, you’re also with a lot of other foods. So it’s essential to look at your daily diet as a whole to see if you can accept any more of this known carcinogen.
Like I mentioned, personally, if I want to eat some carbohydrates then I will go for something a little more delicious that still has some wellness advantages like yams, paleo chocolate or one of my preferred paleo ice-creams.
Also, look forward to our soon to be launched Paleo Thanksgiving cookbook.
Therefore if you are confident with feeding your kids with arsenic then keep providing them rice. If you want to be pro-active in your health stay away from the arsenic to some extent, avoid the rice.