Arsenic Testing?

[StephanieL]

I know there has been some research about arsenic in rice. Being as many with Celiac disease depend on it, has anyone been tested for it?

 

My concern is with little people.  Mine are all under 10 and I will admit, I worry about this more than I would like.

[kareng]

Subscribe to Gluten Free Watchdog.  She collected money and tested some rice based products.

[StephanieL]

No, I was asking if people have had blood testing. That is why I posted in the post-dx area and not the food area. 

[kareng]

Sorry. I thought you were wondering if the rice products even had enough arsenic to be worrisome. As this isn't really about Celiac disease, but about arsenic poisioning, I'll put this in Related Disorders.

I have not seen any recommendations that Celiacs be tested for arsenic poisioning. If you have, could you link us to them, please? I might have missed that.

[StephanieL]

Sorry. I thought you were wondering if the rice products even had enough arsenic to be worrisome. As this isn't really about Celiac disease, but about arsenic poisioning, I'll put this in Related Disorders.

I have not seen any recommendations that Celiacs be tested for arsenic poisioning. If you have, could you link us to them, please? I might have missed that.

 

Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't very clear.  I haven't been sleeping much lately so I'm a bit off!

 

 

I haven't see testing recommended, no.  I am concerned though especially since I have kids who are all gluten-free. I worry that we are robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak with fixing the Celiac disease and then putting them at risk of other health related issues associate with high levels of arsenic.

[kareng]

I am not sure we really are putting them at risk. You really might want to check out Glutenfree watchdog. The info is for subscribers only as they cost a lot to do. Some foods seem to be better than others.

[bartfull]

Maybe you could just back off on the rice in their diets? Potatoes, sweet potatoes, gluten-free pasta, and even salad, can all replace rice. I DO know that instant rice is better than long cooking rice as far as the arsenic goes, and that white rice is better than brown. Also that rice grown in California is better than rice grown in the American south.

[BlessedMommy]

Yes, white rice is better than brown. I do Indian white basmati usually. For brown rice, I get organic brown basmati grown in California. (Lundberg)

 

Brown rice pasta is concerning. One serving of that stuff gives kids more arsenic than they should have in a whole week. It's best to rarely serve Tinkyada and types like that to children. Corn pasta and corn/quinoa blends can substitute for rice pasta. Other than lasagna noodles occasionally, I tend to avoid brown rice pasta.

[bartfull]

The Ronzoni pasta I get is white rice, brown rice, corn and quinoa. It is made in Italy. Of course that's not saying they don't import the rice used to make it from America though. I never even thought about it.

[StephanieL]

We can't do the corn/quinoa pasta.  I do try to limit it but they get rice in some form almost at every meal. Bread, pancakes, cereal, pasta or actual rice for a side dish. 

 

They are kids. Giving them a salad would result in them not eating it. We do potatoes as side dishes but that doesn't help with breakfast and lunch. 

[kareng]

The best breads and pancake dont have any rice flour. You may have search a bit for recipes or products but try using ingredients like sorghum and millet and buckwheat.

[BlessedMommy]

You can bake bread using sorghum flour as a substitute for rice flour.

[StephanieL]

I haven't found safe options for those flours/grains. 

[BlessedMommy]

I purchase Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour in 25 lb bags. It's also available in smaller quantities.

 

I purchase my millet in 25 lb bags as well. It is Golden Prairie brand. Open Original Shared Link

[StephanieL]

We can't use BRM because of anaphylactic allergies.

[BlessedMommy]

Okay, I see. That's right, BRM would have nut cross contact issues.

 

The Golden Prairie one should probably be okay, since as far as I know, they just process grains. They offer gluten free oats, as well as the gluten free millet, and their gluten free oats are cheaper than BRM's gluten-free oats.