Arsenic link from eating rice confirmed by major new research

Date: Nov-20-2013A study of more than 18,000 people in Bangladesh has established a link between rice consumption and arsenic exposure and toxicity.

Although there have been studies before which have suggested a connection, this research, carried out by scientists from America, Asia and De Montfort University, in Leicester, UK, is the biggest-ever study of its kind.

Tests carried out on those who ate large amounts of rice showed they had higher levels of arsenic in their system than those who did not.

Furthermore, those who ate more rice had more symptoms such as skin lesions, a sign of arsenic toxicity in the body.

Scientists believe the results have implications for people whose diet is heavily rice-based, particularly those in Bangladesh and parts of Cambodia, China, India and Vietnam where rice intake is high and the population is also exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water.

However, they say it is also a cause for concern for people who eat large amounts of rice in general.

The study, which has been published in the journal PLOS ONE, was led by Dr Habibul Ahsan from the University of Chicago with co-authors from Columbia University, UChicago Research Bangladesh Ltd and DMU. It is part of a $30million research programme.

Co-author Dr Parvez Haris, head of the Biomedical Environmental Health Group at DMU, Leicester, UK, said: "Although we were the first to demonstrate that there is a correlation between arsenic exposure and rice consumption, our study was restricted to analysis of urine samples from a small number of Bangladeshi resident in the United Kingdom.

"The current study supports our previous findings but with a much larger population of Bangladeshis residing in Bangladesh, where the problem of arsenic in water and the food chain is a serious problem. Furthermore, the PLOS ONE study also shows that exposure to arsenic from rice can have harmful effects on human health as it correlated with increased prevalence and incidence of skin lesions."

The study is based on data from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) in Araihazar, Bangladesh. It used the urinary and dietary analysis of 18,470 Bangladeshis.

Dr Haris said: "We recommend people in Araizhar and other parts of Bangladesh, who consume as much as 1.6Kg of cooked rice daily, to reduce their dependence on rice as their main source of calorie intake, to diversify their diet by for example increasing their intake of wheat and consuming rice varieties that are low in arsenic. We have previously shown that rice from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh has lower arsenic content, as does aromatic rice.

"In the UK and other western countries, people from certain ethnic communities, infants and people with celiac disease can have a high intake of rice and they need to consider consuming low arsenic-containing rice or supplement their diet with other foods."

The problem in Bangladesh is more pronounced because the groundwater in the country is contaminated with arsenic, a naturally-occuring element.

Dr Haris said: "Rice is the staple food for over three billion people, approximately half the world's population.

"It is also the cereal that is fed most widely to babies in their first year of life and is often the cereal of choice for people with Celiac disease who are sensitive to gluten.

"The bad news for rice consumers is that we and others have shown that it contains high concentration of arsenic, especially the toxic forms of this element known as inorganic arsenic.

"Most Bangladeshis are heavily dependent on rice for their nutrition and caloric intake. They consume on average 1,645g of cooked rice daily and hence are at greater risk from arsenic exposure. The situation is further worsened by the fact that they also consume arsenic contaminated water at levels well above the limits set by the World Health Organisation.

"Although the PLOS ONE paper did not determine the content of arsenic in rice consumed by the study group, we have analysed more than 100 rice samples from Bangladesh and have detected inorganic arsenic and other arsenic species in rice types that are commonly consumed by people in Bangladesh."

Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.