Climate change will make rice toxic, say researchers (arstechnica.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by Powderhorn@beehaw.org to c/news@beehaw.org

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Rice, the world’s most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.

Eaten every day by billions of people and grown across the globe, rice is arguably the planet’s most important staple crop, with half the world’s population relying on it for the majority of its food needs, especially in developing countries.

But the way rice is grown—mostly submerged in paddies—and its highly porous texture mean it can absorb unusually high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin that is especially dangerous for babies.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] CubitOom@infosec.pub 8 points 2 weeks ago

I parboil my rice for 5 mins and then wash them before cooking after reading a UK guide that said it might reduce arsenic and heavy metals.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/news/new-way-cooking-rice-removes-arsenic-and-retains-mineral-nutrients-study-shows

[-] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 3 points 2 weeks ago

I wonder if the common preparation for a rice cooker would also be helpful (rinsing the rice until the starch is almost gone) or heat would be necessary.

this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2025

49 points (100.0% liked)

World News

22325 readers

50 users here now

Breaking news from around the world.

News that is American but has an international facet may also be posted here.

Guidelines for submissions:

Where possible, post the original source of information.
- If there is a paywall, you can use alternative sources or provide an archive.today, 12ft.io, etc. link in the body.
Do not editorialize titles. Preserve the original title when possible; edits for clarity are fine.
Do not post ragebait or shock stories. These will be removed.
Do not post tabloid or blogspam stories. These will be removed.
Social media should be a source of last resort.

These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.

For US News, see the US News community.

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 3 years ago

MODERATORS