Arsenic levels and cancer risk in rice and bulgur
What it found
Bulgur had about ten times less arsenic than rice, and the estimated cancer risk from eating it was far lower.
This was measured in food samples from 50 people in Turkey.
What they found
Studies in people
People ate more rice
The 50 participants ate an average of 38 g of rice per day but only 22 g of bulgur per day. Because they ate more rice and it held more arsenic, their total arsenic intake from rice was much higher.
Cancer risk estimates
Using two different ways to calculate lifetime cancer risk, rice pushed 53% and 93% of the participants above what regulators consider acceptable. For bulgur, those numbers were 0% and 5%.
Other findings
Much less arsenic in bulgur
Inorganic arsenic was the main form found in both foods. Rice averaged 160 ng/g with a spread of about 38 ng/g either way, while bulgur averaged only 21 ng/g. That means bulgur had roughly ten times less arsenic than rice.
How bulgur is made
Bulgur is a whole wheat product that is soaked, cooked, dried, milled, and cracked. It has been eaten for centuries in Turkey and nearby regions.
Eating amount matters most
A computer model showed that how much rice a person eats drove 82% of the differences in their risk. The actual arsenic level in the grain mattered far less than the portion size.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest setting a limit for inorganic arsenic in rice to help lower these risks.
- They recommend raising public awareness about the link between eating a lot of rice and health risks.
- They advise promoting bulgur as a lower-arsenic alternative.
How it was done
Rice is known to take up more arsenic from soil than other grains, but no one had measured arsenic in bulgur or compared the risks of eating both foods.
Fifty people in Izmir, Turkey, gave samples of the rice and bulgur they cook at home and filled out a survey about how much they ate over seven days. The researchers tested the food for different forms of arsenic and used the survey answers to estimate each person's exposure and lifetime cancer risk.
What it can’t tell you
- This study measured arsenic in food and calculated theoretical risks rather than tracking actual illnesses in people. It cannot show whether anyone who ate these foods actually developed cancer.
- Only 50 people in one Turkish city took part, so the results may not reflect what shoppers eat elsewhere.
- The researchers assumed all the arsenic in the food was taken in by the body, which likely overestimates the real exposure.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey
The paper
- Title
- Speciated arsenic concentrations, exposure, and associated health risks for rice and bulgur
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Sofuoglu SC, Güzelkaya H, Akgül Ö, Kavcar P, Kurucaovalı F, Sofuoglu A (2014). Speciated arsenic concentrations, exposure, and associated health risks for rice and bulgur. Food and chemical toxicology. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2013.11.029Free full textPubMed 24296133DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error