Rice is one of the most popular staples in the world, and its mineral-rich composition makes it one of the healthiest foods.
But, did you know rice also contains dangerous chemicals?
This is the only reason why rice goes through several layers of filtering before packaging.
Cooking rice may seem like one of the easiest things to do, but what about dangerous chemicals like arsenic and the pathogens present in it? Well, according to recent research conducted by the University of Sheffield, cooking rice by following a few simple steps can retain the goodness of micronutrients, and can remove traces of arsenic in rice.
As reported by the Times of India based on research, cooking rice in the recommended way can eliminate the presence of arsenic compared to washing rice.
However, sometimes over-cooking or over-rinsing rice can also lead to micronutrient loss.
According to Scientists at the University of Sheffield, this home-friendly rice cooking process not only eliminates the presence of arsenic and retains its nutritional goodness.
Arsenic content often varies from region to region depending on poor water quality. Thus, much of the natural arsenic has not been studied. However, these few steps can make your rice healthier and arsenic-free.
According to the Institute for Sustainable Food, there are several ways to cook rice, and according to their research, it was observed that by using the parboiling with absorption (PBA) method, the arsenic content was removed and the nutrients were preserved.
With this method, the rice is parboiled in boiled water for five minutes before rinsing and refreshing the water. Then, the rice is cooked over low heat, and all the water is absorbed during the cooking process.
The rice milling process does remove arsenic, but rice can have ten times more arsenic compared to other cereals. Excess arsenic content can also have an impact on health and can also cause cancer. In fact, parboiling rice can help effectively remove traces of arsenic and retain micronutrients; because after rinsing and draining, the rice is cooked over low heat and all the nutrients remain intact.
