Possibility of cancer due to partially cooked rice : Conclusion of a research

Possible ill-effects of poisonous element ‘Arsenic’ in rice

Vomiting, stomachache and diarrhoea due to partially cooked rice.

Mumbai – If the rice is not cooked completely or if cooked partially, may cause cancer, the conclusion derived in research.

In a study done by Queen’s University, one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, it was found that currently the proportion of industrial poisonous elements and pesticide chemicals found in raw rice has increased manifold. Consumption of such rice, polluted by chemical elements, may cause cancer due to the presence of a poisonous element, ‘Arsenic’ in it.

Some ladies were kept under observation in the study done on rice in California. This study comprised, cancer, breast cancer and dangers connected with it. In this study, they found 9,400 ladies had breast and lung cancer. Arsenic was found to be the element responsible for it.

Researchers say that Arsenic happens to be a chemical containing minerals. This element is used in pesticides; it is also found in the groundwater in many countries. Therefore, such elements enter our bodies through food or water, and we suffer from ailments such as vomiting, stomachache, diarrhoea, cancer. Currently, the rice available in many parts all over the world is found to have Arsenic. If the rice is not cooked well, then in cooked rice also the element Arsenic remains and causes harm to the health.

Care to be taken while cooking rice

To avoid Arsenic entering our body through rice, it is not enough to wash the rice thrice, but it should be allowed to soak, which is very important. To drain Arsenic from the rice completely, rice needs to be soaked in water for many hours. If you want to cook rice in the morning then the rice should be soaked in water on the previous night.

Queen’s University discovered that if rice is soaked for the whole night and cooked in the morning, then Arsenic decreases by 80%. They conducted some experiments before coming to this conclusion. In one of the experiments, the rice was cooked in 1:2, that is, 2 cups water for 1 cup rice. In another, the proportion was 1:5. While cooking the rice, the extra water was drained; they found that Arsenic had reduced by 50%.

If the rice needs to be cooked in a hurry and it is essential to have rice for lunch, then it must be soaked minimum of 3 to 5 hours. In this process the washed and soaked rice is free from elements like Arsenic. Such rice is harmless to eat.