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Original poster

Rice. Is it safe to eat??

31 replies

Kitcat159 · 02/01/2018 09:49

I'm 11 weeks and the only advice re food my midwife has given me is "Google it"
I have googled it and checked a couple of apps and apparently rice is bad as it contains arsenic.

But I have been told to try the BRAT diet for morning sickness which is bananas RICE applesauce and toast.
Also everyone says about having a curry to help move things along if baby is over. That would invole rice, No?

Did/do you eat rice during pregnancy?

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Fekko · 02/01/2018 09:50

Several million pregnant women around the world eat rice every day and survive! If you rinse it in cold water a few times and soak it for an hour or so it will get rid of the starch (and any other baddies).

dementedpixie · 02/01/2018 09:51

Rice is not on the avoid risk. Rice milk isn't advised for under 5s due to arsenic risk but has not been vetoed during pregnancy

Tinks15 · 02/01/2018 09:51

I've never heard about not being allowed to eat rice. Go and eat some rice Smile

PotteringAlong · 02/01/2018 09:52

Of course it’s fine! Just use the nhs avoid list - if you google then any food is bad for you!

ProseccoPoppy · 02/01/2018 09:52

I’d stick to the NHS website for pregnancy food advice tbh (if you google almost anything is a problem on at least one site...). I have never heard of rice being a problem in pregnancy, I ate it all through my last pregnancy with no issues.

dementedpixie · 02/01/2018 09:54

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/917.aspx?CategoryID=54. P.s. BRAT diet does not have enough nutrients and is not recommended

Original poster
Kitcat159 · 02/01/2018 09:55

I have attached the note from the app I have so you can see the message.

Pre pregnancy I was eating chicken and rice loads. Now I'm living on breadsticks and crisps.
I'm starving but can't eat cos I keep throwing up.
I miss rice.

Rice. Is it safe to eat??
OP posts:
pastabest · 02/01/2018 09:57

The midwife probably meant look on the NHS website

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx

I also recommend Emily Oster's book 'Expecting Better' which talks a lot about making evidence based judgements about what you eat/drink in pregnancy.

thepatchworkcat · 02/01/2018 09:58

What app is that though? Best to stick with NHS advice. One thing to be aware of with rice is the poisoning risk if you eat leftover rice the next day that’s not been cooked down/chilled/stored/reheated correctly. But otherwise it’s fine.

thepatchworkcat · 02/01/2018 09:59

food poisoning missed a word out

RavingRoo · 02/01/2018 10:01

Look at legitimate websites. The majority of the world’s population eat rice everyday as their main meal - so if it caused stillbirths I doubt China and India would have the populations they do.

Lweji · 02/01/2018 10:02

This will be worth reading.
It advises to have a varied diet (surprise!).

www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319948.htm

dementedpixie · 02/01/2018 10:02

Just eat the rice! You can reduce arsenic by your prep/ cooking method

Lweji · 02/01/2018 10:05

The FDA site says that cooking in excess water (pasta like) reduces arsenic but also reduces important constituents.
Washing it has negligible effect on arsenic but washes out vitamins and minerals.
I wouldn't bother.

Oly5 · 02/01/2018 10:05

Oh my word.. I’ve eaten loads of rice in three pregnancies. No I’ll effects here! If the NHS hasn’t banned it, it’s fine
Just work from the NHS list and enjoy your food. If you don’t eat enough calories your baby will suffer more than any supposed risk from arsenic

Snowman41 · 02/01/2018 10:10

What site, and country, is the picture from OP

newmumwithquestions · 02/01/2018 10:11

From what I’ve been told from people that know, the advice on rice is likely to change. But it’s very hard to reach agreement on what it should change to as rice is a much healthier food in some ways than others.

The problem with the contaminants like arsenic is that they cause long term problems that are hard to measure. I don’t know of any studies linking rice to still born risk (not saying there haven’t been any).

After looking into rice and arsenic I stopped giving DD so many rice cakes - she still gets them but occasionally whereas they were part of her daily diet. Baby rice cakes are banned in one country - Sweden I think.

To reduce arsenic content:
Soak rice before using- any soaking is better than none but overnight is ideal.
Wash well in lots of fresh water
Cook in lots of water (not just the amount that the rice absorbs).
Drain.

If you cook it in this way it reduces arsenic.

Hulaballoo · 02/01/2018 10:13

"excess consumption" is an awful lot of rice for the arsenic level to be high enough for anything to happen. Even eating a rice meal daily won't reach high enough levels.... Eating rice is fine....

NerrSnerr · 02/01/2018 10:20

Just use the NHS advice, it is evidence based and clear. You’ll drive yourself bonkers if you keep googling.

Original poster
Kitcat159 · 02/01/2018 10:23

The app is called Mummy Tummy. Was the only one I could find where I could search for a food.
I didn't even know there was an nhs list.
Will ditch the app and go check the nhs site instead.
Thanks all.
Yea I really need to eat and drink more. I'm trying but I can't keep anything down.
Yesterday I had 1 litre of water, 2 plain wraps, 2 bags of wotzits and a chocolate bite thing. That's all I could keep down.

OP posts:
Skyechasemarshalontheway · 02/01/2018 10:26

I am 12 weeks tomorrow and had rice 3 times in the last week and last nighta was with curry sauce from the chinese. Rice and even curry sauce is safe.

A baby is not going to be born as you had curry sauce. They come when they are ready or induced. People like to believe myths but thats all they are.

Stick to the nhs website for foods to avoid.

snowqu33n · 02/01/2018 10:40

I would say it depends on the source country of your rice. We eat rice almost every day here but some of it was grown across the road from where we live. There isn’t an arsenic problem here and we try to eat it as soon as possible after buying. Newly harvested rice is best.
Check the label. Indian subcontinent and some parts of US and Europe have arsenic in soil which is soluble and because rice grows immersed in water it gets absorbed more than for other cereals. Brown rice is riskier than white.
I wouldn’t eat any cooked (or soaked) rice that has been kept at room temperature for any length of time more than an hour or so due to the ceres Ceres bacteria which isn’t killed by heating and creates toxins that lead to food poisoning. Rice should be stored either dry, or cooled rapidly after cooking and then frozen. If cooled and refrigerated, eat within 12 hours. Sushi rice contains salt, sugar and vinegar to inhibit bacteria, but I didn’t eat it during my pregnancy.
It’s believed that people in countries that eat a lot of rice build up a resistance to the toxins from Ceres Ceres but maybe they are just very used to handling rice properly.
I have a food hygiene certificate for the country where we live (Japan).

RavingRoo · 02/01/2018 10:43

In most parts of India rice is washed 5-7 times, soaked, drained, and then boiled in an excess of fresh water after which it is drained again.