Here’s a particularly sobering piece from the Environmental Working Group on arsenic levels in rice that y’all should read, (And thanks to Sis Annie for the link). Sadly, rice has a particular affinity for the absorption of this poison, and obviously, the source terroir of what we eat has a bearing on things; it’s therefore most prudent for us to be as informed as possible. Rice varieties differ in the amount of arsenic they absorb. The article includes excellent resources for determining and mitigating your potential intake. The ubiquity of rice as a filler and sweetener in processed foods shouldn’t be lost on us. If ever theres a reason to avoid such things in our diets, this would make the top three list, I’d say.
EWG is a great resource for just such information. Check out their Food Scores information for in depth coverage on thousands of products, with an easy to determine healthiness index. there is also a food scores app for iPhone I’ve been testing out for a while now, it’s quite a useful in the store tool, so give it a try as well. there should be an Android version out soon. If you prefer good, old fashioned book form, You can acquire one by donating to the group and help them continue their excellent work.
We’ll be doing some in depth work on wild rice in the near future, with interesting tie ins to this issue, so stay tuned.
UrbanMonique 