Is rice in pregnancy a mercury source nobody talks about?
Yes, in some regions. Rice grown in mercury-polluted areas affects newborn brain development.
What's actually in it
Rice plants grown in flooded paddies pull methylmercury out of the water and soil. Mining regions, coal-burning regions, and old factory zones leave mercury in the ground for decades. The rice grown there carries the mercury into the kitchen.
Most pregnancy advice covers fish. Rice in pregnancy doesn't usually get mentioned.
What the research says
A 2026 study in Environ Pollut measured maternal mercury from rice intake and tracked the babies. Higher rice mercury during pregnancy lined up with worse newborn neurobehavioral scores in the first weeks of life. The effect held even after adjusting for fish intake.
The risk wasn't from any single bowl. It was from rice as a daily staple in regions with mercury history.
For pregnancy, pick rice from California, India, or Pakistan, which test lower for mercury. Rinse rice well and cook with extra water that you drain off. Rotate in quinoa, barley, or oats so rice isn't every meal.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Maternal prenatal mercury exposure from rice and its association with newborn neurobehavioral development. | Environ Pollut | 2026 |
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