Do you know how to cook rice? No, this is not a joke but a real health issue, as a recent study by a scientific team at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, revealed.
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According to this study, the widespread technique in the West of cooking rice with the right amount of water until it is completely absorbed is not enough to eliminate the presence of arsenic present in the grains. Produced from a plant whose roots grow in rice field water saturated with pesticides, rice binds arsenic in its inorganic form particularly well and unfortunately preserves a large part of it after cooking.
This semi-metal, which we then find on our plates, has the effect of creating chronic intoxication over time, which can cause many health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even the appearance of certain cancers.
To more effectively remove arsenic from rice, Professor Andy Meharg of Queens University recommends another much more effective method which is to soak the grains overnight before cooking them in 5 times their volume of water. By also rinsing the rice with plenty of water before cooking, the scientist explains that this method eliminates the presence of arsenic in the rice by nearly 80%.
Check out the video above for tips on how you can prepare and reduce your risk of ingesting the dangerous poison.
