We're constantly being bombarded with information
about heavy metals, undesirable substances in our food and how they impact our health
these messages are confusing
but we are here to break it down and explain the basics of Arsenic
The word gets tossed around often But what is Arsenic?
Simply put Arsenic is just an element
it's found in the environment both naturally occuring
but also due to human contamination
Believe it or not Arsenic is found almost everywhere
It is found in air, food, soil, water and even a tiny amount in our own bodies
This is not necessarily a problem
Since it is usually found at low levels
but what complicates matters is that there are loads of different types of Arsenic
To distinguish between these different types
scientists use a fancy kind of chemistry called Arsenic speciation
To simplify, Arsenic is often grouped into two categories
Organic Arsenic and Inorganic Arsenic
The inorganic type is very toxic
while the organic types generally pose less risk of health problems
While there are generally no immediate physical affects of Arsenic consumption in food
Too much of the toxic types can cause long term health problems such as cancer
If we take a look at the total amount of Arsenic in a few food groups
we can see that Fish and Seaweed contain high amounts of Arsenic compared to the other food groups
But even if Fish contains more Arsenic
It doesnt mean it contains a lot of the Toxic Arsenic
and its not just about how much of the bad Arsenic is in the food
but also, just as importantly
how much of the food you eat
there is very little Arsenic in Dairy and Grains, such as flour
However the average European consumer eats a lot of these food products
So if you are worried about headlines stating that there is Arsenic in your rice
Dont panic!
Eating rice and rice based products is fine
But eating 3 bowls of rice everyday with rice crackers for dessert
Could be a reason for concern
Parents today are advised against using rice milk
as a substitute for milk, for children with allergies
and should not give infants rice porridge or rice based foods
exclusively as their main source of first food
You cant avoid Arsenic but what should not be forgotten is the nutritional benefit of food
Which often outweighs any negative impact
from Rice, Fish, Seafood, Fruits or Vegetables
The best advice we can give you today is to eat a varried diet
mix up the grains you eat
be conscious of the rice intake for small children
and dont eat a bucket of Seaweed daily
Finally, its not about what you eat but how much and how often you eat it
Exactly, and if you want to learn more about Arsenic
Click on the links below
