5 replies to this topic

[ironfistx]

Recent articles have been saying you shouldn't eat much rice because it isn't as healthy as it should be.  The probelm is that there is arsenic in it.  WHen they make pit into protein powder, is the arsenic still present?  I hagve some but at hesitatnt to use it because of this.

[ironfistx]

Here there are some posts I found about it.

 

Arsenic in rice: how concerned should you be?

If you knew there was arsenic in your food, would you eat it? More importantly, would you serve it to your children?

Recently, Consumer Reports Magazine released their analysis of arsenic levels in rice products, and the results were concerning. Popular rice products including white rice, brown rice, organic rice baby cereal, and rice breakfast cereals, were all found to contain arsenic, a potent carcinogen that can also be harmful to a child’s developing brain.

“In virtually every product tested, we found measurable amounts of total arsenic in its two forms. We found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern.”

The study not only found a significant amount of arsenic in many rice products on the market, but also that arsenic levels in the blood directly increase with greater rice consumption.(1) Several products tested had more arsenic in each serving than the 5 parts per billion (ppb) limit for adults set by the EPA as safe. (2)

What’s worse, many of these arsenic-containing rice products are marketed to children and infants as “health foods”, and children are far more susceptible to the dangerous impacts of arsenic exposure. (3, 4, 5) Research suggests that high levels of arsenic exposure during childhood are associated with neurobehavioral problems as well as cancer and lung disease later in life. (6) This means parents must be especially careful to avoid serving their children food with significant levels of arsenic.

While many of my readers follow a strict Paleo diet and couldn’t care less about arsenic in rice, there are many more who are more liberal in their diet and consume white rice as a “safe” starch. In fact, rice is often recommended by well-educated bloggers such as Paul Jaminet as a component of a perfectly healthy and enjoyable diet. I personally eat white rice on occasion and feel it is a safe starch for those who tolerate it. But now that there is a new issue with rice consumption, one that has nothing to do with carbohydrates, does that mean we should avoid it entirely?

White rice can be a “safe” starch

I don’t think it’s necessary to completely eliminate rice from the diet. The EPA’s 5 ppb per day limit on arsenic is probably what we should shoot for in our diets, in light of current evidence. Many of the white rice products tested had fairly low levels of arsenic, and in the context of a few servings a week for an adult, it’s probably not an issue. As for very young children and infants, I don’t recommend serving them rice products in general, so they shouldn’t be exposed to arsenic from rice anyway. Pregnant women may want to be cautious about their rice intake, and minimize their exposure to arsenic to protect their developing fetus; finding another safe starch to replace rice during pregnancy would be wise.

So if you choose to purchase white rice, buy a brand made in California like Lundberg; their California White Basmati Rice has only 1.3 to 1.6 ppb arsenic per serving (1/4 cup uncooked), well below the safe limit. In addition, rinsing the rice before cooking and boiling it in a high water-to-rice ratio can help reduce the arsenic content significantly. (7) So if you want to keep white rice as a part of your diet, I recommend looking for a safe brand like Lundberg and rinsing the rice thoroughly before cooking in a large quantity of water; this should be adequate to make rice a safe food to eat in moderation.

Brown rice: Not a health food!

Brown rice, on the other hand, has significantly more arsenic than white rice and should be avoided or consumed rarely. Some of the brown rice brands tested contained at least 50% more than the safe limit per serving, and a few even had nearly double the safe limit. (PDF with complete details of test results) Note that some of the worst offenders for arsenic are made from brown rice: processed rice products like brown rice syrup, brown rice pasta, rice cakes and brown rice crisps. These processed products are commonly consumed by those following a “healthy” whole grain rich or gluten-free diet, but they clearly pose a significant risk of arsenic overexposure, especially if a person eats more than one serving per day. Obviously, brown rice is not a food that should be a dietary staple, or even eaten on a regular basis.

 

Aside from having a higher arsenic content, there are other reasons to avoid brown rice: it’s harder to digest and nutrient absorption is likely inferior to white rice because of phytates in the rice bran. (8) Despite a higher nutrient content of brown rice compared to white rice, the anti-nutrients present in brown rice reduce the bioavailability of any vitamins and minerals present. (9) Plus, brown rice also reduces dietary protein and fat digestibility compared to white rice. (10) In short, brown rice is not a health food for a variety of reasons, and a higher arsenic content is simply another reason to avoid eating it.

No food is completely safe or without some level of contamination risk: vegetables make up 24 percent of our arsenic exposure and tap water can legally contain 10 ppb arsenic per liter (some systems even exceed the legal limit.) (11) So while rice may contribute an unsafe level of arsenic, it’s certainly not the only source in our diet, and we need to be cautious about demonizing an entire class of food based on a soundbite from a news story. While I don’t think rice is a necessary component of a healthy diet, I do think it can be incorporated safely as a source of starch: just be sure to pay attention to the brand you’re buying, as well as your method of preparation.

Is rice a major staple in your diet? Will you continue eating it, or is this arsenic report enough to put you off rice altogether? Share your opinion in the comments below!

 

Source http://chriskresser....d-should-you-be

 

THat links to the consumer reports story.

Toxic Levels of Heavy Metals found in Rice Protein

Activist Mike Adams’ recent investigation found that rice protein imported from China had as much as 20 times the recommended limit for arsenic.

Soil naturally contains elements that plants might absorb as they grow. Depending on many factors, including geographic region, the level of elements in soil varies. Unfortunately, heavy metals like lead, cadmium, tungsten, arsenic, and aluminum can be hazardous in large amounts or when consumed over time.

The USDA and FDA currently do not regulate the levels of heavy metals permitted in food or supplements. Only in the state of California is there legislation (Prop 65) that requires companies to label and measure risks associated with heavy metals. With these recent developments, the FDA is now considering whether a safety level should be set for arsenic in rice.

—> Watch Mike Adams, of Natural News reveal test results of popular rice protein brands on the Dr. Oz Show.

—> Learn more: Deborah Blum wrote about The Trouble With Rice in the New York Times.

Do You Use a Protein Powder or Shake?
Protein is necessary to build, maintain and repair muscle. Many people look to protein powders or shakes as a convenient source of vital nutrients. The main types of protein powders and shakes are: whey, casein, soy, rice and hemp.

• Whey and Casein are derived from milk and they provide a “complete protein,” meaning they contain all essential amino acids. They are not suitable for vegans or anyone with lactose intolerance.

• Soy consumption affects hormone balance and is therefore not acceptable for anyone with thyroid disease or a predisposition to thyroid dysfunction. The majority of soy is also genetically engineered, which poses other potential health risks.

• Rice is not a complete protein because it lacks one of the essential amino acids. Recent findings suggest that there are alarming levels of heavy metals in rice.

• Hemp is a complete protein that is high in fiber, rich in essential fatty acids and easy to digest. Hemp is also extremely sustainable to grow.

Nutiva Organic Hemp – A Perfect Protein
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein is grown in Canada and as Mike Adams details in his report, hemp protein tests very low for heavy metals. Hemp is also a perfect protein! It contains all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential as well as the ideal ratio of essential fatty acids (omega-3 & omega-6). Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein is vegan, made from raw hempseeds and is certified organic and non-GMO. It’s a good source of dietary fiber and is never hexane processed, always chemical free, and non-irradiated. Even better, hemp is very easy to digest. Because it contains 66% edestin, a bioactive globulin protein, hemp is suitable even for the most sensitive stomachs. Hemp is the world’s most sustainable plant. It has a quick growing cycle, requires less water than most crops, and replenishes the soil with nutrients and nitrogen. Hemp converts C02 to oxygen four times better than trees, and does not require pesticides or herbicides. For all these reasons, hemp protein is a sound environmental choice as well as the perfect addition to your morning smoothie.

 

Source http://nutiva.com/to...d-rice-protein/

 

There seems to be a limit to how full you can fill a post.  More.

[ironfistx]

Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in Rice
The FDA dropped some interesting test results about arsenic in rice on the public in September of 2012, with some products containing as high as 11 mcg of inorganic arsenic per serving. Consumer Reports followed shortly after with a list of their own test results. Both created a lot of confusion and managed to scare many of us away from rice products for a while. Since then, we have heard practically nothing from either, other than a brief article here, to say that “FDA scientists have determined that the levels of inorganic arsenic found in the samples are too low to cause immediate health damage.”
Natural News and Health Ranger, Mike Adams, recently began doing their own testing on arsenic and other heavy metals in vegan rice proteins. His work brought Sunwarrior, Garden of Life, himself, and other health advocates together to hold suppliers and farmers more accountable for the metals that make their way into our foods. The numbers certainly looked scary, but what do they actually mean? Are we at risk? Let’s dig a little deeper and look at some of the answers.
PPB vs. PPM The industry standard is to use parts per million, rather than parts per billion to make the data more approachable and understandable. The ppb numbers certainly look impressive, but 10,000 parts per billion is actually only 10 parts per million. Take 10 dollars and divide it between a million people and what do you have left? Are you left with even a penny? No, much, much less than that. You are left with nothing, a number so small it is insignificant. 500 ppb is only .5 ppm. Take 50 cents and divide it between a million people and you can imagine how tiny it gets fast. That is the type of numbers we are looking at with the findings that were recently posted. That’s .0000005 to make it more clear.
When we talk about the amounts in foods, we use micrograms. Most of us are familiar with grams, the small units we measure the servings of foods with. You see the little “g” for grams next to sugars and proteins on labels. To put it into context even further, it takes 1 thousand micrograms to make even a milligram and it take 1 thousand milligrams to make a gram. That means it takes 1 million micrograms to equal a gram.
What is Lead? Lead is a semi-soft metal that is naturally occurring in the earth’s crust, the air, and water. It has many beneficial uses in batteries, electronics, and much more, but is toxic to humans. Lead likes to replace other essential minerals in biological reactions, causing problems with protein formation. Most of our exposure to lead comes from man-made pollutants, like exhaust and contaminated pipes. Governments around the world are trying to minimize our exposure to lead, since lead is not like many other heavy metals which can come in safer organic forms.
What is Arsenic? Arsenic is a non-metal element with some metallic properties that is naturally found in low levels in soil, air, and water. It is a dull metallic grey in appearance. The majority of plants do absorb arsenic from water and soil as they grow, meaning arsenic is a part of our food. Arsenic has always been a part of our food in one form or another. Arsenic comes in two varieties, organic or inorganic.
Organic arsenic is created when arsenic binds with organic elements and molecules, ones that contain carbon. This produces arsenic that is rather innocuous. Organic arsenic is fairly harmless, hundreds of times less toxic than inorganic arsenic, and easily ignored by the body.
Inorganic arsenic is another case altogether. It is highly toxic and was historically a favorite poison by would-be assassins. Inorganic arsenic has branched away from regicide into many other uses. It has been used as a pesticide, to pressure-treat lumber, and in glass. Arsenic isn’t the most mobile of elements and only a few forms are water soluble. Despite this, it can also enter the environment through mining, smelting, volcanic activity, pesticide use, and weathering. Inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancer and heart disease. Luckily, the body still does a good job of removing it from the body when the doses are very low.
What is Cadmium? Cadmium is a soft, blue-white metal similar to zinc and often found with zinc. It naturally occurs in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Long term exposure to large doses of cadmium is toxic and carcinogenic as this metal causes irritation to internal organs when inhaled or ingested by creating reactive oxygen molecules. Like arsenic, cadmium comes in two forms, organic and inorganic.
Inorganic cadmium is highly dangerous, coming from mining, electronics, pigments in paints, and many other industrial sources. Organic cadmium is far safer and is typically what is found in foods. Organic cadmium has always been a part of our diet in trace amounts as plants draw it from soil and water. Organic cadmium may actually be put to use by the body’s immune system in destroying cancer cells, according to some research.
What is Tungsten? Tungsten is a rare, hard metal that is used to create extremely hard drill bits, industrial alloys, and even jewelry. Tungsten is toxic in large doses, but its toxicity is low and poisoning is extremely rare. Despite any comparison made to lead, it is not even remotely as toxic. Most health risks are to those who inhale tungsten dust as the metal irritates lungs, but this is limited to those who chronically work in industrial applications where hard metals are drilled, powdered, and put into the air. Tungsten is still mildly toxic and should be avoided, but if it were as toxic as lead, then tungsten poisoning would be far more common. Tungsten is capable of organic forms, but it is unsure if these are safer than inorganic as more research needs to be done on this aspects.
How Much is in our Food? Small amounts of heavy metals are always present in our food, our water, and in the air we breathe. This is a combination of inorganic and organic forms. Scientific modeling estimates that rice accounts for only 17% of our exposure to arsenic and that only about 10% of that is the dangerous inorganic form. Rice was targeted in the FDA and Consumer Reports testing because it’s rather unique in how it is grown. Rice grows in pools of standing water where it is more likely to draw up arsenic and other heavy metals than other grains.
Despite this, rice and grains don’t actually stand at the forefront when it comes to our exposure. Vegetables actually take first place at 24%. Nearly a quarter of our exposure to arsenic comes from the healthy vegetables we eat. Fruits and fruit juices clock in at 18%. Water actually comes in around 10%. Much seafood and sea vegetables also contain high amounts of heavy metals, but in the less toxic organic forms. Tuna, shrimp, and fish often top the lists for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Despite all these in foods, the EPA found that exposure to heavy metals from food is low, many times below the set levels to protect us from long-term effects.
How Will They Affect Us? Very little is known about the health effects of organic heavy metals. They haven’t been a huge health problem, like the inorganic forms, so they have not been thoroughly tested and studied. The few studies that have been done show them to be neutral or only mildly toxic, posing no concern in the doses found in food.
Inorganic heavy metals are dangerous and can easily result in death in high levels, but very low doses of inorganic metals are cleaned and removed from the body with little problem, though long-term exposure to inorganic heavy metals increases the risk of several types of cancer and can put more strain on the heart and kidneys.
The heavy metals in rice are a combination of these two forms and have not been determined to be harmful as of yet. The FDA released the test results, but deemed the levels it found safe and did not make a recommendation to avoid rice. The FDA is still analyzing and collecting data before they come to any decision. The EPA is working to limit the amount of inorganic arsenic that makes its way into our food and many farmers and rice companies are also striving to minimize our exposure as well, thanks in part to the bad press that erupted after the FDA and Consumer Reports shared their news. We may expect a resurgence of activity thanks to Mike Adams and Natural News and hopefully this will lead farmers and food suppliers to further clean up and improve the soil and water beneath rice’s roots and any other crops that may be at risk.
Should We Change How We Eat? This is a tough question to answer. We should always be working toward eating healthier. The FDA and other health governing bodies have not recommended a change of our consumption of rice or rice products. The FDA and nutritional experts recommend a balanced diet that includes a variety of grains. Perhaps this just means we should be wise and not lean on one food source. The truth is simple – all of our foods contain some toxins. Lead, cadmium, BPA, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury are just a few. Some occur naturally and some do not. There are many more produced by the plants we eat, the processes we use, and the chemicals we add. The body can handle small amounts and the more we vary our diet, the less these toxins build up enough to do us damage.
This means we can keep eating rice and using rice protein if we want to, but supplement in other grains and grain-like seeds too, like oats, barley, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and many more. If you use rice products, shuffle in other cereal grain products or take a break now and again. If you use a rice protein, you have little to worry about from the trace amounts of heavy metals, but feel free to cycle it with another protein from another vegetable source to stay safe. Sunwarrior Classic Protein is safe, well below the guidelines found throughout the world, but if you are still concerned about rice, make the switch to Warrior Blend, which contains no rice protein and consistently tests extremely low.
When using rice, you can get rid of a large amount of arsenic in brown rice by rinsing it, soaking it, changing the water several times, and cooking it with excess water that you can discard when it is done.
Infants and children may be more susceptible, so cut back on rice and rice products with them. The reports placed most products for children on the lower end of the spectrum, but it is still best to err on the side of caution. Adults will be fine as long as they are smart about what they eat. Remember that rice came in behind veggies and fruit. If we eliminate every slightly risky food, we would be left with almost nothing to eat, or only the highly refined and processed foods that are unhealthy for other reasons. Toxins exist in everything. The trick is to help your body out by giving it what it needs to remove and lessen the risks of these toxins: fiber, antioxidant-rich foods, clean water, exercise, and a variety of foods. 
- See more at: http://www.sunwarrio...h.tqmdeNqD.dpuf

The FDA dropped some interesting test results about arsenic in rice on the public in September of 2012, with some products containing as high as 11 mcg of inorganic arsenic per serving. Consumer Reports followed shortly after with a list of their own test results. Both created a lot of confusion and managed to scare many of us away from rice products for a while. Since then, we have heard practically nothing from either, other than a brief article here, to say that “FDA scientists have determined that the levels of inorganic arsenic found in the samples are too low to cause immediate health damage.”
Natural News and Health Ranger, Mike Adams, recently began doing their own testing on arsenic and other heavy metals in vegan rice proteins. His work brought Sunwarrior, Garden of Life, himself, and other health advocates together to hold suppliers and farmers more accountable for the metals that make their way into our foods. The numbers certainly looked scary, but what do they actually mean? Are we at risk? Let’s dig a little deeper and look at some of the answers.
PPB vs. PPM The industry standard is to use parts per million, rather than parts per billion to make the data more approachable and understandable. The ppb numbers certainly look impressive, but 10,000 parts per billion is actually only 10 parts per million. Take 10 dollars and divide it between a million people and what do you have left? Are you left with even a penny? No, much, much less than that. You are left with nothing, a number so small it is insignificant. 500 ppb is only .5 ppm. Take 50 cents and divide it between a million people and you can imagine how tiny it gets fast. That is the type of numbers we are looking at with the findings that were recently posted. That’s .0000005 to make it more clear.
When we talk about the amounts in foods, we use micrograms. Most of us are familiar with grams, the small units we measure the servings of foods with. You see the little “g” for grams next to sugars and proteins on labels. To put it into context even further, it takes 1 thousand micrograms to make even a milligram and it take 1 thousand milligrams to make a gram. That means it takes 1 million micrograms to equal a gram.
What is Lead? Lead is a semi-soft metal that is naturally occurring in the earth’s crust, the air, and water. It has many beneficial uses in batteries, electronics, and much more, but is toxic to humans. Lead likes to replace other essential minerals in biological reactions, causing problems with protein formation. Most of our exposure to lead comes from man-made pollutants, like exhaust and contaminated pipes. Governments around the world are trying to minimize our exposure to lead, since lead is not like many other heavy metals which can come in safer organic forms.
What is Arsenic? Arsenic is a non-metal element with some metallic properties that is naturally found in low levels in soil, air, and water. It is a dull metallic grey in appearance. The majority of plants do absorb arsenic from water and soil as they grow, meaning arsenic is a part of our food. Arsenic has always been a part of our food in one form or another. Arsenic comes in two varieties, organic or inorganic.
Organic arsenic is created when arsenic binds with organic elements and molecules, ones that contain carbon. This produces arsenic that is rather innocuous. Organic arsenic is fairly harmless, hundreds of times less toxic than inorganic arsenic, and easily ignored by the body.
Inorganic arsenic is another case altogether. It is highly toxic and was historically a favorite poison by would-be assassins. Inorganic arsenic has branched away from regicide into many other uses. It has been used as a pesticide, to pressure-treat lumber, and in glass. Arsenic isn’t the most mobile of elements and only a few forms are water soluble. Despite this, it can also enter the environment through mining, smelting, volcanic activity, pesticide use, and weathering. Inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancer and heart disease. Luckily, the body still does a good job of removing it from the body when the doses are very low.
What is Cadmium? Cadmium is a soft, blue-white metal similar to zinc and often found with zinc. It naturally occurs in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Long term exposure to large doses of cadmium is toxic and carcinogenic as this metal causes irritation to internal organs when inhaled or ingested by creating reactive oxygen molecules. Like arsenic, cadmium comes in two forms, organic and inorganic.
Inorganic cadmium is highly dangerous, coming from mining, electronics, pigments in paints, and many other industrial sources. Organic cadmium is far safer and is typically what is found in foods. Organic cadmium has always been a part of our diet in trace amounts as plants draw it from soil and water. Organic cadmium may actually be put to use by the body’s immune system in destroying cancer cells, according to some research.
What is Tungsten? Tungsten is a rare, hard metal that is used to create extremely hard drill bits, industrial alloys, and even jewelry. Tungsten is toxic in large doses, but its toxicity is low and poisoning is extremely rare. Despite any comparison made to lead, it is not even remotely as toxic. Most health risks are to those who inhale tungsten dust as the metal irritates lungs, but this is limited to those who chronically work in industrial applications where hard metals are drilled, powdered, and put into the air. Tungsten is still mildly toxic and should be avoided, but if it were as toxic as lead, then tungsten poisoning would be far more common. Tungsten is capable of organic forms, but it is unsure if these are safer than inorganic as more research needs to be done on this aspects.
How Much is in our Food? Small amounts of heavy metals are always present in our food, our water, and in the air we breathe. This is a combination of inorganic and organic forms. Scientific modeling estimates that rice accounts for only 17% of our exposure to arsenic and that only about 10% of that is the dangerous inorganic form. Rice was targeted in the FDA and Consumer Reports testing because it’s rather unique in how it is grown. Rice grows in pools of standing water where it is more likely to draw up arsenic and other heavy metals than other grains.
Despite this, rice and grains don’t actually stand at the forefront when it comes to our exposure. Vegetables actually take first place at 24%. Nearly a quarter of our exposure to arsenic comes from the healthy vegetables we eat. Fruits and fruit juices clock in at 18%. Water actually comes in around 10%. Much seafood and sea vegetables also contain high amounts of heavy metals, but in the less toxic organic forms. Tuna, shrimp, and fish often top the lists for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Despite all these in foods, the EPA found that exposure to heavy metals from food is low, many times below the set levels to protect us from long-term effects.
How Will They Affect Us? Very little is known about the health effects of organic heavy metals. They haven’t been a huge health problem, like the inorganic forms, so they have not been thoroughly tested and studied. The few studies that have been done show them to be neutral or only mildly toxic, posing no concern in the doses found in food.
Inorganic heavy metals are dangerous and can easily result in death in high levels, but very low doses of inorganic metals are cleaned and removed from the body with little problem, though long-term exposure to inorganic heavy metals increases the risk of several types of cancer and can put more strain on the heart and kidneys.
The heavy metals in rice are a combination of these two forms and have not been determined to be harmful as of yet. The FDA released the test results, but deemed the levels it found safe and did not make a recommendation to avoid rice. The FDA is still analyzing and collecting data before they come to any decision. The EPA is working to limit the amount of inorganic arsenic that makes its way into our food and many farmers and rice companies are also striving to minimize our exposure as well, thanks in part to the bad press that erupted after the FDA and Consumer Reports shared their news. We may expect a resurgence of activity thanks to Mike Adams and Natural News and hopefully this will lead farmers and food suppliers to further clean up and improve the soil and water beneath rice’s roots and any other crops that may be at risk.
Should We Change How We Eat? This is a tough question to answer. We should always be working toward eating healthier. The FDA and other health governing bodies have not recommended a change of our consumption of rice or rice products. The FDA and nutritional experts recommend a balanced diet that includes a variety of grains. Perhaps this just means we should be wise and not lean on one food source. The truth is simple – all of our foods contain some toxins. Lead, cadmium, BPA, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury are just a few. Some occur naturally and some do not. There are many more produced by the plants we eat, the processes we use, and the chemicals we add. The body can handle small amounts and the more we vary our diet, the less these toxins build up enough to do us damage.
This means we can keep eating rice and using rice protein if we want to, but supplement in other grains and grain-like seeds too, like oats, barley, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and many more. If you use rice products, shuffle in other cereal grain products or take a break now and again. If you use a rice protein, you have little to worry about from the trace amounts of heavy metals, but feel free to cycle it with another protein from another vegetable source to stay safe. Sunwarrior Classic Protein is safe, well below the guidelines found throughout the world, but if you are still concerned about rice, make the switch to Warrior Blend, which contains no rice protein and consistently tests extremely low.
When using rice, you can get rid of a large amount of arsenic in brown rice by rinsing it, soaking it, changing the water several times, and cooking it with excess water that you can discard when it is done.
Infants and children may be more susceptible, so cut back on rice and rice products with them. The reports placed most products for children on the lower end of the spectrum, but it is still best to err on the side of caution. Adults will be fine as long as they are smart about what they eat. Remember that rice came in behind veggies and fruit. If we eliminate every slightly risky food, we would be left with almost nothing to eat, or only the highly refined and processed foods that are unhealthy for other reasons. Toxins exist in everything. The trick is to help your body out by giving it what it needs to remove and lessen the risks of these toxins: fiber, antioxidant-rich foods, clean water, exercise, and a variety of foods. 
- See more at: http://www.sunwarrio...h.tqmdeNqD.dpuf

The FDA dropped some interesting test results about arsenic in rice on the public in September of 2012, with some products containing as high as 11 mcg of inorganic arsenic per serving. Consumer Reports followed shortly after with a list of their own test results. Both created a lot of confusion and managed to scare many of us away from rice products for a while. Since then, we have heard practically nothing from either, other than a brief article here, to say that “FDA scientists have determined that the levels of inorganic arsenic found in the samples are too low to cause immediate health damage.”
Natural News and Health Ranger, Mike Adams, recently began doing their own testing on arsenic and other heavy metals in vegan rice proteins. His work brought Sunwarrior, Garden of Life, himself, and other health advocates together to hold suppliers and farmers more accountable for the metals that make their way into our foods. The numbers certainly looked scary, but what do they actually mean? Are we at risk? Let’s dig a little deeper and look at some of the answers.
PPB vs. PPM The industry standard is to use parts per million, rather than parts per billion to make the data more approachable and understandable. The ppb numbers certainly look impressive, but 10,000 parts per billion is actually only 10 parts per million. Take 10 dollars and divide it between a million people and what do you have left? Are you left with even a penny? No, much, much less than that. You are left with nothing, a number so small it is insignificant. 500 ppb is only .5 ppm. Take 50 cents and divide it between a million people and you can imagine how tiny it gets fast. That is the type of numbers we are looking at with the findings that were recently posted. That’s .0000005 to make it more clear.
When we talk about the amounts in foods, we use micrograms. Most of us are familiar with grams, the small units we measure the servings of foods with. You see the little “g” for grams next to sugars and proteins on labels. To put it into context even further, it takes 1 thousand micrograms to make even a milligram and it take 1 thousand milligrams to make a gram. That means it takes 1 million micrograms to equal a gram.
What is Lead? Lead is a semi-soft metal that is naturally occurring in the earth’s crust, the air, and water. It has many beneficial uses in batteries, electronics, and much more, but is toxic to humans. Lead likes to replace other essential minerals in biological reactions, causing problems with protein formation. Most of our exposure to lead comes from man-made pollutants, like exhaust and contaminated pipes. Governments around the world are trying to minimize our exposure to lead, since lead is not like many other heavy metals which can come in safer organic forms.
What is Arsenic? Arsenic is a non-metal element with some metallic properties that is naturally found in low levels in soil, air, and water. It is a dull metallic grey in appearance. The majority of plants do absorb arsenic from water and soil as they grow, meaning arsenic is a part of our food. Arsenic has always been a part of our food in one form or another. Arsenic comes in two varieties, organic or inorganic.
Organic arsenic is created when arsenic binds with organic elements and molecules, ones that contain carbon. This produces arsenic that is rather innocuous. Organic arsenic is fairly harmless, hundreds of times less toxic than inorganic arsenic, and easily ignored by the body.
Inorganic arsenic is another case altogether. It is highly toxic and was historically a favorite poison by would-be assassins. Inorganic arsenic has branched away from regicide into many other uses. It has been used as a pesticide, to pressure-treat lumber, and in glass. Arsenic isn’t the most mobile of elements and only a few forms are water soluble. Despite this, it can also enter the environment through mining, smelting, volcanic activity, pesticide use, and weathering. Inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancer and heart disease. Luckily, the body still does a good job of removing it from the body when the doses are very low.
What is Cadmium? Cadmium is a soft, blue-white metal similar to zinc and often found with zinc. It naturally occurs in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Long term exposure to large doses of cadmium is toxic and carcinogenic as this metal causes irritation to internal organs when inhaled or ingested by creating reactive oxygen molecules. Like arsenic, cadmium comes in two forms, organic and inorganic.
Inorganic cadmium is highly dangerous, coming from mining, electronics, pigments in paints, and many other industrial sources. Organic cadmium is far safer and is typically what is found in foods. Organic cadmium has always been a part of our diet in trace amounts as plants draw it from soil and water. Organic cadmium may actually be put to use by the body’s immune system in destroying cancer cells, according to some research.
What is Tungsten? Tungsten is a rare, hard metal that is used to create extremely hard drill bits, industrial alloys, and even jewelry. Tungsten is toxic in large doses, but its toxicity is low and poisoning is extremely rare. Despite any comparison made to lead, it is not even remotely as toxic. Most health risks are to those who inhale tungsten dust as the metal irritates lungs, but this is limited to those who chronically work in industrial applications where hard metals are drilled, powdered, and put into the air. Tungsten is still mildly toxic and should be avoided, but if it were as toxic as lead, then tungsten poisoning would be far more common. Tungsten is capable of organic forms, but it is unsure if these are safer than inorganic as more research needs to be done on this aspects.
How Much is in our Food? Small amounts of heavy metals are always present in our food, our water, and in the air we breathe. This is a combination of inorganic and organic forms. Scientific modeling estimates that rice accounts for only 17% of our exposure to arsenic and that only about 10% of that is the dangerous inorganic form. Rice was targeted in the FDA and Consumer Reports testing because it’s rather unique in how it is grown. Rice grows in pools of standing water where it is more likely to draw up arsenic and other heavy metals than other grains.
Despite this, rice and grains don’t actually stand at the forefront when it comes to our exposure. Vegetables actually take first place at 24%. Nearly a quarter of our exposure to arsenic comes from the healthy vegetables we eat. Fruits and fruit juices clock in at 18%. Water actually comes in around 10%. Much seafood and sea vegetables also contain high amounts of heavy metals, but in the less toxic organic forms. Tuna, shrimp, and fish often top the lists for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Despite all these in foods, the EPA found that exposure to heavy metals from food is low, many times below the set levels to protect us from long-term effects.
How Will They Affect Us? Very little is known about the health effects of organic heavy metals. They haven’t been a huge health problem, like the inorganic forms, so they have not been thoroughly tested and studied. The few studies that have been done show them to be neutral or only mildly toxic, posing no concern in the doses found in food.
Inorganic heavy metals are dangerous and can easily result in death in high levels, but very low doses of inorganic metals are cleaned and removed from the body with little problem, though long-term exposure to inorganic heavy metals increases the risk of several types of cancer and can put more strain on the heart and kidneys.
The heavy metals in rice are a combination of these two forms and have not been determined to be harmful as of yet. The FDA released the test results, but deemed the levels it found safe and did not make a recommendation to avoid rice. The FDA is still analyzing and collecting data before they come to any decision. The EPA is working to limit the amount of inorganic arsenic that makes its way into our food and many farmers and rice companies are also striving to minimize our exposure as well, thanks in part to the bad press that erupted after the FDA and Consumer Reports shared their news. We may expect a resurgence of activity thanks to Mike Adams and Natural News and hopefully this will lead farmers and food suppliers to further clean up and improve the soil and water beneath rice’s roots and any other crops that may be at risk.
Should We Change How We Eat? This is a tough question to answer. We should always be working toward eating healthier. The FDA and other health governing bodies have not recommended a change of our consumption of rice or rice products. The FDA and nutritional experts recommend a balanced diet that includes a variety of grains. Perhaps this just means we should be wise and not lean on one food source. The truth is simple – all of our foods contain some toxins. Lead, cadmium, BPA, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury are just a few. Some occur naturally and some do not. There are many more produced by the plants we eat, the processes we use, and the chemicals we add. The body can handle small amounts and the more we vary our diet, the less these toxins build up enough to do us damage.
This means we can keep eating rice and using rice protein if we want to, but supplement in other grains and grain-like seeds too, like oats, barley, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and many more. If you use rice products, shuffle in other cereal grain products or take a break now and again. If you use a rice protein, you have little to worry about from the trace amounts of heavy metals, but feel free to cycle it with another protein from another vegetable source to stay safe. Sunwarrior Classic Protein is safe, well below the guidelines found throughout the world, but if you are still concerned about rice, make the switch to Warrior Blend, which contains no rice protein and consistently tests extremely low.
When using rice, you can get rid of a large amount of arsenic in brown rice by rinsing it, soaking it, changing the water several times, and cooking it with excess water that you can discard when it is done.
Infants and children may be more susceptible, so cut back on rice and rice products with them. The reports placed most products for children on the lower end of the spectrum, but it is still best to err on the side of caution. Adults will be fine as long as they are smart about what they eat. Remember that rice came in behind veggies and fruit. If we eliminate every slightly risky food, we would be left with almost nothing to eat, or only the highly refined and processed foods that are unhealthy for other reasons. Toxins exist in everything. The trick is to help your body out by giving it what it needs to remove and lessen the risks of these toxins: fiber, antioxidant-rich foods, clean water, exercise, and a variety of foods. 

Source http://www.sunwarrio...vy-metals-rice/
 

Edited by ironfistx, 24 February 2015 - 08:32 PM.

[ironfistx]

We understand that levels of inorganic arsenic in rice is of concern in some parts of the world. That is why Growing Naturals is committed to using brown rice ingredients that provide health benefits while being manufactured in a way that ensures there is no notable inorganic arsenic level.

 

What is Dartmouth’s study on arsenic in brown rice syrup, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives?
This study published February 2012 can be found here. It is one in a series of studies looking at arsenic levels in food. The stated goal of the study is to encourage the FDA to set regulations for arsenic levels in food, which we agree with. Unfortunately, the study has resulted in misunderstandings and unnecessary fear among consumers because:

1. It compares the levels of arsenic in food to the levels of arsenic in water, which is not comparing “apples to apples”. When issuing new food guidelines, the FDA often applies a multiplication factor of 100 to 1,000 times that of water. This is because the recommended intake of water is “8 glasses of water every day” but when was the last time you ate “8 glasses of brown rice every day”? In reality, your daily intake of any one food ingredient will be significantly smaller than that of water thus the chances of arsenic building up in your system is significantly less.
2. It doesn’t fully address the difference between inorganic arsenic (which poses a health risk) vs. organic arsenic (which is not known to pose a health risk and is actually needed in low levels by the human body as noted here).

How much arsenic is in our brown rice ingredients?
We want to assure you that our brown rice ingredients do not pose an inorganic arsenic risk. Our brown rice ingredients undergo 3rd party and FDA testing, as we already self-regulate our arsenic levels. The reports find that our levels are either “not detectable” or less than 1ppm (part per million), and only for organic arsenic which is not deemed a risk.

What are acceptable levels of inorganic and organic arsenic levels?
According to California’s regulations under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (commonly referred to as “Prop 65″, which is significantly stricter than the FDA on many levels), there is a “Safe Harbor” list of two classes of chemicals: those that cause reproductive toxicity and those that are considered carcinogens.
– The table of chemicals that cause reproductive toxicity does not list arsenic.
– The table of “no significant risk levels” for carcinogens lists only inorganic arsenic and does not recognize organic arsenic as a potential for risk.
In addition, Prop 65’s requirements are based on exposure, not concentration. The regulations state that human consumption of food does not constitute “exposure” for purposes of warning notification under the Act to the extent that chemicals are naturally-occurring in agricultural products, were not added by any known human activity, and were not avoidable by good agricultural or good manufacturing practices [Title 27, California Code of Regulations, Section 25501(3)(1)].

Why did the tested products have a higher arsenic level than our products?
Our ingredients are not grown in Pakistan, where the majority of brown rice syrup is imported from and where there are higher levels of naturally occurring arsenic in the water and soil. In addition, any naturally occurring arsenic is soluble and easily diminished in our chemical free process that extracts key portions of the whole rice grain.

We follow Good Manufacturing Practices, utilize testing at multiple points of production from seed to shelf including 3rd parties and the FDA, and we take all appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of our products with regard to heavy metals as well as other potential contaminants.

Why is INORGANIC arsenic the one considered a risk?
This research on inorganic arsenic is the basis for California adding inorganic arsenic to their list of known risks. Note that chicken and fish are sited as having more arsenic risk than rice and that the average diet includes as much as 1,000 micrograms of ORGANIC arsenic per day.

The study sites that the EPA set an acceptable level of 10ppb (parts per billion) of arsenic in water, assuming that the majority of arsenic in water is inorganic, thus a higher risk than the organic arsenic found in rice.

What are heavy metals vs trace minerals and when are they beneficial vs toxic?
Though its definition varies, “heavy metals” is the general term given to a group of elements with metallic properties. Some of these metals are nutritionally essential to support life though they are needed in very small quantities. These are referred to as trace minerals and they include: Iron, copper, chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.

Ample evidence has established the physiological importance of trace minerals in the human body. For example, Iron is required for the transport of oxygen needed for cellular respiration. Copper is used to create red blood cells and to scavenge free radicals, substances linked to increased risk of cancer or heart disease. Zinc is needed to heal wounds and to ensure that proteins are formed properly to carry out their vital roles. Other metals like vanadium, strontium, arsenic, nickel, tin, aluminum, boron, arsenic and cadmium have unknown or inconclusive roles in human processes. READ FULL ARTICLE

What about reducing arsenic levels in cooked whole grain brown rice?
It is recommended that consumers wash their brown rice well in a colander before boiling, plus add extra water to the pot to help wash away the soluble arsenic.

What are the experts saying about Growing Naturals rice products?
A former FDA Supervisor and consultant to the California State Attorney General’s Office and Prop 65 has tested our product to show it is below the food arsenic levels regulated by the UK, Australia and World health Organization (WHO). Here is his professional opinion on why the Dartmouth study is flawed.

 

Source http://growingnatura...ce-ingredients/

 

 

I have emailed swanson to ask them about their rice products.

Edited by ironfistx, 24 February 2015 - 08:36 PM.

[Dorian Grey]

I did some research into arsenic in rice bran extract that seemed to indicate arsenic in rice bran (where most of the arsenic is found) is tightly bound to the phytic acid which is also found in the bran.  

 

As humans don't have phytase producing bacteria in their gut and hence can not break down phytic acid, the arsenic bound by phytic acid is not supposed to be released.  Indeed, what I read seemed to indicate phytic acid not only holds on to its own arsenic dearly, but can actually chelate and take on additional dietary arsenic in the GI tract of non-ruminant animals (humans).  

 

I'm sorry I don't have any links for you...  I looked into this several years ago and recall what I found eased my mind a bit about rice bran.  Hope it was true and someone will help with some hard data.  

Edited by synesthesia, 25 February 2015 - 03:23 AM.

[timar]

—> Watch Mike Adams, of Natural News reveal test results of popular rice protein brands on the Dr. Oz Show.

 

Oh dear! Mr. Loon on the Dr. Quack show... if this is where you get your information about nutrition, you are lost. Lost to the limbo of paranoia and puffery.