Can brown rice be worse than white rice for a baby's arsenic exposure?
Yes. A 2025 study confirmed brown rice holds more arsenic than white because the metal concentrates in the outer bran.
What's actually in it
Rice absorbs inorganic arsenic from soil and irrigation water. The metal concentrates in the bran, the outer layer of the grain. White rice has the bran removed. Brown rice keeps it. That's why brown rice has more fiber and more nutrients, and also more arsenic.
Inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen. Babies and young kids absorb more per pound of weight than adults.
What the research says
A 2025 study in Food Chem Toxicol tested rice-based infant products and found more arsenic in brown and whole-grain rice products than in refined white rice. For a baby eating rice cereal or rice puffs daily, the estimated intake crossed European safety limits.
For babies under one year, rotate grains: oatmeal, quinoa flakes, barley cereal. If you serve rice, use white or basmati, rinse thoroughly, and cook with plenty of water (6 parts water to 1 part rice) then drain to cut arsenic further.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| The content of metallic trace elements in rice-containing products used in the diet of infants. | Food Chem Toxicol | 2025 |
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