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Eating Brown Rice Found to Potentially Exceed Safe Levels of Arsenic for Infants

  • Writer: FibonacciMD
    FibonacciMD
  • May 12
  • 4 min read

Updated: May 23



In an article published February 2025, researchers compared arsenic content and human consumption of arsenic in brown rice compared to white rice.


It is commonly thought that brown rice is more healthy than white rice.  Brown rice is less processed, contains rice bran and germ and has more nutrients than white rice.  However, the bran and germ contain higher concentrations of arsenic than found in white rice.  Arsenic can be  found naturally in water and soil. There are two types of arsenic compounds; organic which contains carbon, and inorganic which does not.  The inorganic form is considered the more toxic of the two types.  Chronic arsenic exposure has been linked to cancers and cardiovascular disease.  There are some studies that have linked higher arsenic ingestion to decreased IQ and cognitive functioning in children.


The authors, through a literature review, estimated the amount of arsenic contained in white and brown rice.  Then using average consumption data from a large U.S. government data base, estimated the average amount of rice Americans consume.  Combining the two they estimated the arsenic load people were exposed to.


They reported that U.S. brown rice had 48% higher levels of inorganic arsenic than white rice.  Brown rice from around the world was found to have 18% higher levels of inorganic arsenic than U.S. brown rice.  Rice bran (the outer coating of rice that makes brown rice brown), contained more inorganic arsenic than were found in entire grains of either white or brown rice.  They also found children under 5 years of age were the highest consumers of rice per body weight.


They estimated that children 0 to 6 months of age who ate brown rice on a regular basis might be ingesting higher than recommended amounts of inorganic arsenic by body weight.  It was also reported that if brown rice products were eaten daily, children 6 months to 2 years might exceed recommended amounts of arsenic ingestion.  Arsenic ingestion in 2-year-olds to 5-year-olds was not over the recommended safe level but was a higher amount per body weight than in adults.


The authors suggested that there was a potential of elevated arsenic exposure from brown rice, especially in infants 0 to 2 years of age, but caution might be used with respect to brown rice ingestion up to 5 years of age.  In other age groups those who only ate brown rice had higher arsenic intake than those only eating white rice, but arsenic ingestion did not exceed what is considered a safe range based on body weight.


Comments:

Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice but unfortunately contains more arsenic. While the amount of arsenic ingested is below current safety levels for most age groups, in the very young it may exceed safety levels.  Arsenic levels in rice may differ by geography, water supply, strain of rice and how the rice is processed.


Consumer Reports has reported finding arsenic in many rice products including rice cereals.  In 2012 they reported elevated arsenic levels in brown rice compared to white rice and found arsenic levels in some infant rice cereals at levels five times higher than oatmeal.


Arsenic in food is not just a problem limited to rice.  In 2012, Consumer Reports tested apple and grape juice and found 10% of the samples contained elevated levels of arsenic that exceeded federal drinking-water standards.


In 2025, Consumer Reports tested powdered baby formula for contaminants.  With respect to arsenic, they found levels of arsenic in seven out of 41 brands over what was considered a safe daily limit, and two brands were near the limit.


Consumer Reports suggested in 2012 that industry and governmental agencies should accelerate efforts to reduce arsenic levels in rice by:

  • Developing types of rice that take up less arsenic, and using rice with the lowest possible arsenic in products for young children, such as infant rice cereal

  • Phasing out use of pesticides containing arsenic

  • Ending the use of arsenic-laden manure as fertilizer

  • Banning the feeding of arsenic-containing drugs and animal byproducts to animals


While regulations for manufacturers and farmers will help decrease the issue of toxins in food, parents need to be aware of the issue and stay informed about the safety of food products ingested by their infants or young children.





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