You should wash the rice, but not for the reason you thought.

We’ve all read or heard about the recommendation wash the rice before consuming it. There are usually two reasons for this. On the one hand, if it is eaten crumbly, as in paella, it must be rinsed to remove some of the fat. starch which gives it a jelly-like appearance that is desirable in other dishes such as Risotto. As for the other reason, it is that, apparently, rice contains a large amount of arsenicelement that can be very toxic from certain doses.

Both things are true. Is it true that rice can be washed Useful for cooking some dishes. It is also true that rice plants absorb arsenic from the soil more easily than other crops. Now as far as it takes wash the rice avoid the latter?

According to the analysis carried out Consumer and User Organization (OCU), at least in Spain, does not seem necessary. The doses contained in various types of rice sold in Spanish territory and it was concluded that by no means dose of arsenic consumed with a daily serving of rice is higher than what is considered dangerous to humans. The problem is that, as the study explains Talk director of the Australian Program for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Evangeline Manzioristhe real reason for rice washing may be a large amount microplastic that are attached to its surface.

Arsenic is only a problem in some places

The best way to consume rice without arsenic is to take it white. This is due to the fact that most of this element goes into saved. That is, to the outermost part of the seed. This is stored in whole rice, but this is one of the layers that are removed when the rice is cleaned. This refined rice is what we know as white rice (no cooking) and it only contains the endosperm.

Its consumption protects us from arsenic, but it is also much less nutritious and causes insulin spikes, which can be worrisome in the long run. Therefore, in countries like Spain, where rice It is not the basis of our diet, brown rice will always be more recommended. In addition, although rice washing removes up to 90% arsenicnothing will happen if this is not done.

Now we must not forget that there is underdeveloped countries in which rice is consumed much more frequently as it is a cheap way to get a good supply of nutrients. In such cases, it is highly recommended to wash it or, if there is no other choice, to take white.

the same thing happens with children and pregnant women. For the former, when they are under six years of age, any food derived from rice should be avoided. For the latter, it should also be avoided and, if there is no other choice, an enriched white should be taken.

The reason you have to wash your rice

The point of all this is that if the recipe doesn’t call for it, it may not be necessary. wash the rice. However, there is a reason for this, which is rarely talked about: its content in microplastic.

These very small pieces of plastic are known to pollute aquatic ecosystems where they pose a problem to humans. its flora and fauna. But they are also meant for the people themselves. In fact, microplastics have been found in the digestive system, lungs, blood, and even breast milk of some people. Some of the microplastics that enter our digestive system come from the consumption of salt and shellfish contaminated by marine waste. They can also be found in water to irrigate certain foods such as rice. And, of course, in containers.

With all this, some studies have already found a significant amount of microplastics in both raw and parboiled rice. As a solution, it is recommended to rinse the rice, as it can be removed before 20% raw plastic and up to 40% pre-fired plastic.

In developed countries, this is a much stronger motive than arsenic or dust. So, to finish, it all boils down to the fact that if rice is washed, it is better than better, but not for the reasons that you used to think.