Arsenic can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer
Cooking rice incorrectly can lead to arsenic poisoning according to scientists.
Experiments show that a common method of cooking rice can expose those who eat it to traces of arsenic poison, according to The Independent. The method in question is simply boiling the rice in a pan until the water has steamed out.
Arsenic contaminates rice while it is growing as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides. The poisonous chemical has been linked to a number of serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and development problems.
The BBC reports that arsenic can be particularly toxic in the form of inorganic arsenic (iAs), which is classified as a category 1 carcinogen by the European Union. The classification means it is known to cause cancer in humans.