There’s a way to minimize arsenic intake from rice until something’s done to keep it out of the food supply, and it’s far from new. Consumer Reports recommends the traditional way of cooking rice in Asia:
- Rinse raw rice thoroughly before cooking.
- Use a ratio of 6 cups water to 1 cup of rice for cooking, and then drain the excess water.
While cooking rice in water that is entirely absorbed allows rice to retain more nutrients, but it also retains more arsenic. Draining excess water removes about 30 percent of the rice's inorganic arsenic content.
No More Microwave Cooking
It may be convenient, but to help remove arsenic from your rice, microwaving rice is out. The traditional Asian stovetop method is best.
