Can cadmium in rice increase the risk of liver cancer?

What's actually in it

Cadmium is a heavy metal that concentrates in rice more than in most other grains. Rice paddies flooded with water from cadmium-contaminated soil or industrial runoff absorb the metal through their roots and store it in the grain. Polishing (making white rice) removes some cadmium, but brown rice retains more because the bran layer holds it.

If rice is a dietary staple, as it is for billions of people worldwide, cadmium exposure from rice alone can be enough to affect health over time.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Int used spatial mapping and individual health data to directly link cadmium levels in locally grown rice to liver cancer rates in the same communities. The correlation was strong and dose-dependent.

Cadmium accumulates in the liver over years. It generates oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in liver cells, both of which are precursors to cancer. It also interferes with DNA repair mechanisms, allowing mutations to accumulate unchecked.

The study found that communities in regions with higher soil cadmium levels had measurably higher liver cancer incidence than neighboring communities with cleaner soil, even after controlling for hepatitis B infection (another major liver cancer risk factor).

You can reduce cadmium from rice by rinsing it thoroughly and cooking with excess water (a 6:1 water-to-rice ratio), then draining the extra water. This removes up to 50% of cadmium. Rotating rice with other grains like oats, quinoa, or barley also helps lower your cumulative exposure.