Pregnant women who eat rice on a regular basis may expose themselves and their unborn babies to unwanted levels of arsenic according to new research from Dartmouth Medical School.
Naturally found in soil and rocks, arsenic was also, for many years, used in pesticides. Long-term exposure to the chemical is thought to lead to increased risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and skin lesions. In pregnant women, some studies show that low dose exposure can cause low birth weight and infant mortality.
The most common way we’re exposed to arsenic is through tap water from contaminated groundwater supplies, but rice has proved to be another culprit.
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