Arsenic Levels Mean Some Rice May Not be so Nice
When it comes to a potentially harmful toxin, white rice can hold an advantage over its brown counterpart
With its extra fiber, vitamins and nutrients preserved in the bran layer, many nutritionists will recommend that we choose brown rice over white, saying it’s the healthier option. But it may harbor a hidden danger—concerning levels of the toxic compound arsenic. A 2025 study from Michigan State University researchers, published in the journal Risk Analysis[m1] , reveals that brown rice contains roughly 40% higher levels of arsenic compared to white rice. Why? The very part of brown rice that makes it nutritionally superior—the bran—also concentrates the dangerous inorganic arsenic. The higher concentration occurs because arsenic from soil and water where rice is grown accumulates primarily in the outer layers of the rice grain—the parts stripped away during processing to create white rice. But before you bid adieu to brown rice altogether, know that the scientists looking into this matter emphasize that the arsenic levels in rice are generally too low to pose significant health risks for most adults, though they caution that young children may be more vulnerable. At this point, we have no idea how much brown rice an adult would need to consume to have health ramifications. It also likely depends on arsenic exposure from other dietary sources. Although rice naturally absorbs more arsenic than most crops, as it grows in flooded paddies where arsenic becomes more bioavailable to the plant. Interestingly, a study in the journal Science of the Total Environment found that there is a way to prepare brown rice that removes about half of its arsenic. Here’s how:
Step 1: Place four cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil
Step 2: Add one cup rice and boil for five minutes
Step 3: Discard the cooking water
Step 4: Add two cups of fresh water to pan with rice
Step 5: Simmer rice over medium-low heat, covered, until water is absorbed
References
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.70008
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720368728?via%3Dihub
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
