Stabilized Rice Bran and The Arsenic Myth

Stabilized Rice Bran and the Arsenic Myth
A while back, a study was released connecting stabilized rice bran with supposedly high
levels of arsenic, suggesting that there may be a health risk associated with consuming
stabilized rice bran and related products. These studies are seriously flawed and should
not be given significant credence.
John Duxbury, a soil chemist at Cornell University who analyzed the published studies
and then performed his own study, said, "Consumers shouldn't be overly concerned."
The reasons behind his judgment are myriad.
Arsenic is Everywhere
According to the International Programme on Chemical Safety, "Arsenic is ubiquitous in

the biosphere and occurs naturally in both organic and inorganic forms," and "[The]
estimate of provisional tolerable weekly intake [of arsenic is] 0.015 mg/kg b.w."
That translates into about 0.682 milligrams per 100 pounds of body weight. That means
a typical 200 pound man can safely consume 1.36 milligrams of arsenic per week.
This is not unusual -- what is unusual is that researchers were alarmed when a serving of
stabilized rice bran proved to have 0.0167mg of arsenic. That means it takes 8 servings
to get anywhere near an unsafe consumption per week -- a difficult task when the
products are intended and labeled for use once per day. But that's just the tip of the
iceberg.
The Studies Are Bad Science
According to Chemical and Engineering News, "The survey cannot represent national
levels because its sample size is small, notes soil organic chemistry professor John M.
Duxbury of Cornell University". David Coia, a spokesman for the USA Rice Federation,
concurs: "To make global comparisons based on limited sample size is bad science."
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment said "doses were not
well characterized...other contaminants were present...[the] data base is extensive but
somewhat flawed. Problems exist with all of the epidemiological studies...the U.S.
studies were too small in number to resolve several issues."
The Studies Leave Out Important Body-Chemistry Details
"Another thing to keep in mind," according to CureZone.org, "is that arsenic is readily
displaced from the body by a number of elements such as calcium. This is why despite
arsenic being in so many food sources and being a cumulative poison that we are not all
dying from arsenic poisoning"
Perhaps most importantly is how stabilized rice bran and arsenic interact. Rice bran
contains phytic acid, which is a chemical that has a strong ability (and tendency) to bind
with heavy metals. The key is this: once bound, phytic acid doesn't release the arsenic
inside the body. The two stay bound, aren't digested, and both get harmlessly excreted
together.
To put it succinctly, stabilized rice bran has such incredible health benefits, and these
studies have such deep flaws, that to set aside the potential positive effects of rice bran
because of them is not clear thinking. The amount of antioxidant power, phytonutrient
base, and fiber content of stabilized rice bran has powerful anti-cancer, anti-heart-disease,
and anti-diabetic properties that promote a long, healthy life.
Don't let these frivolous studies mislead you. Stabilized rice bran isn't just safe, it's a
phenomenally powerful superfood that will help your body 'run true' for decades to come.
Nussentials offers Stabilized Rice Bran products that nourish the body and help to bring
correct imbalances.
These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to
diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.
References
1. Kamen, B. 2001. Stabilized Rice Bran. Alternative Medicine, 9. Gupta, M B., Nath, R., Srivatsava, N., Shankar, K., Kishor,
2001 Jul:53-66. K and Bhargava, K P. 1980. Anti-inflammatory and anti-Pyretic
2. Qureshi AA, Sami SA, Khan FA. Effects of stabilized rice effect of beta-sitosterol. J. Medicinal plant Res. 39:157-163.
bran, its soluble and fiber fractions on blood glucose levels and 10. Awad, A B., Downie, D., Fink, C S. 2000. Inhibition of
serum lipid parameters in humans with diabetes mellitus Types growth and stimulation of apoptosis by beta-sitosterol treatment
I and II. J Nutr Biochem 2002 Mar;13(3):175-187. of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in culture. Int. J.
3. Xu Z, Hua N, Godber JS. Antioxidant activity of tocopherols, Mol. Med,5:541-545.
tocotrienols, and gamma-oryzanol components from rice bran 11. Awad, A B., von Holtz, R L., Cone, J P., Fink, C. S., Chen,
against cholesterol oxidation accelerated by 2,2í-azobis(2- Y-C. 1998. Beta-sitosterol inhibits the growth of HT-29 human
methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride. J Agric Food Chem coloncancer cells by activating shingomyelin cycle. m
2001 Apr;49(4):2077-81. Anticancer Res. 18:471-479.
4. Qureshi AA, Sami SA, Salser WA, Khan FA. Dose- 12. Awad, A B. and Fink, C. S. 2000. Phytosterol as anticancer
dependent suppression of serum cholesterol by tocotrienol-rich dietary component: Evidence and Mechanism of action. J.of
fraction (TRF25) of rice bran in hypercholesterolemic humans. Nutrition 130:2127-2130.
Atherosclerosis 2002 Mar;161(1):199-207. 13. Bouic, P J D., Estebeth, S., Leibenberg, R. W., Albrecht, C.
5. Ref: Cheruvanky et al., "Methods for Treating Joint F., Pegel, K., Van Jaarsveld, P P. 1996. Beta-sitosterol and
Inflammation, Pain and Loss of Mobility," U.S. Patent No. beta-sitosterol glucoside stimulate human peripheral
6,902,739, Nov 2001. lymphocyte proliferation: Implication for their use as an
6. Ostlund, Jr. R. E. 2003. Phytosterols in Human Nutrition. immunomodulatory vitamin combination. Int. J.
Annual Rev. in Nutrition, 22:533-49. Immunopharmacology 18: 693-700 (Medline).
7. Jones, P J H., Howell T., Natanios FY., Raeini-Sarjaz M, 14. Minhajuddina, M, Begb, Z, Iqbal, J. 2005. Hypolipidemic
Vanstone CA., 1999. Cholesterol lowering efficacy of a and antioxidant properties of tocotrienol rich fraction isolated
sitostanol containing sitosterol mixture with prudent diet in from rice bran oil in experimentally induced hyperlipidemic
hyperlipidemic men. Am.J. Clin. Nutr. 69:1144-50. rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology J. 43(5):747-753, May
8. Berges, K A.,Senge, T. 2000. Effect of Beta-sitosterol on 2005.
transforming growth factor-beta-1 expression and translocation 15. Iqbal, J, Minhajuddin, M. 2003. Suppression of 7,12-
protein kinase C alpha in human prostate stomal cells in vitro. dimethylbenz[[alpha]]anthracene-induced carcinogenesis and
Eur. Urol., 37(6): 735-41. hypercholesterolaemia in rats by tocotrienol-rich fraction
isolated from rice bran oil. European J. of Cancer Prevention
12(6):447-453, Dec 2003.

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Stabilized Rice Bran and the Arsenic Myth

According to the International Programme on Chemical Safety, "Arsenic is ubiquitous in

The Studies Are Bad Science

The Studies Leave Out Important Body-Chemistry Details

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