Should pregnant women cut back on rice grown in cadmium-rich regions?
Yes. Cadmium builds up in rice and is tied to liver and kidney problems.
What's actually in it
Rice plants take up cadmium from soil more than wheat or oats do. Cadmium is a heavy metal that the body can't break down. It piles up in the kidneys and liver over years. The level in any bag of rice depends on where the rice was grown, what was in the soil, and how the field was watered.
What the research says
A 2026 study in Environ Geochem Health mapped rice cadmium levels in a high-risk part of China and matched them to local liver cancer rates. People who ate rice from the most contaminated zones had the highest body burdens and the highest disease risk. The study also showed cadmium can cross the placenta to the baby.
Mix up your grains. Rotate rice with oats, barley, quinoa, and pasta. Pick rice from California, Italy, or Spain when possible, and rinse rice well before cooking. Cooking rice in extra water and draining it like pasta cuts cadmium even more.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial coupling and individual-level evidence: linking rice cadmium exposure to liver cancer in a high-risk area of China | Environ Geochem Health | 2026 |
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