Family: Food
White milled rice
Grain without the bran: less arsenic and cadmium, and also less manganese, selenium and zinc.
Overview
Milling strips the bran from the grain, and with it goes part of what accumulates in the bran. In a measurement of 446 grains, milling removed on average 44.4% of arsenic, 19.8% of cadmium and 15.4% of chromium — and at the same time more than half the manganese and nickel and about a third of the copper, selenium and zinc. That is one trade, not two separate pieces of news. On the long-term side, a meta-analysis of eight cohorts and eleven trials links white rice intake to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes: a risk ratio of 1.16 comparing extreme intakes.
Production method
- What milling removes
Removes 44.4% of arsenic and 19.8% of cadmium — and half the manganese
More detail
In a measurement of 446 grains, milling removed on average 44.4% of arsenic, 19.8% of cadmium and 15.4% of chromium relative to the whole grain. The same operation took away 57.7% of manganese and 56.9% of nickel and about a third of copper, selenium and zinc — although only about a tenth of the grain is milled off.
Quality indicators
- State of the evidence
Observational cohorts plus trials; the strength of evidence was rated separately
More detail
The meta-analysis pooled eight cohort studies and eleven controlled trials, assessed risk of bias with recognised tools and rated the strength of the evidence separately. Cohort data show association, not causation, and the figure 1.16 should be read that way.
Qualitative characteristics
- What changes the amount
The cooking method: parboiling first removed 73% of inorganic arsenic
More detail
Four home methods were tested on three varieties. Parboiling followed by absorption removed 73% of the inorganic arsenic from white rice and raised the margin of exposure 3.7-fold. The other methods also lowered the content — but for white rice only.
Health-related indicators
- Long-term risk in observational data
Associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes: 1.16
More detail
In a meta-analysis of eight cohorts, white rice intake is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes: a risk ratio of 1.16 with a confidence interval from 1.02 to 1.32, comparing extreme intakes. These are observational data: they show an association, not a cause.
What is nearby
Common comparisons
Related categories
Sources and evidence
Sources by kind of evidence
REVIEWSystematic review1
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