Accumulation of Heavy Metals in People on a Gluten-Free Diet

[TrixieStix]

Newly released study...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28223206

"Conclusion: In an analysis of data collected from NHANES, persons on a GFD have significantly higher urine levels of total arsenic and blood levels of mercury, lead, and cadmium than persons not avoiding gluten. Studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of accumulation of these elements in persons on a GFD."

Another study released back in 2015 showed elevated Mercury levels in people eating a GFD.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25802516

"Conclusion: Data demonstrate a fourfold increase of mercury blood levels in celiac patients following a gluten-free diet. Further studies are needed to clarify its role in celiac mechanism.


Doesn't seem too surprising to me knowing that many gluten-free bread products, snacks, and sweets contain rice flour, rice sweeteners, etc. Rice is known to contain higher levels of heavy metals. I wonder though if people who eat a GFD eat more fish though than other people as rice and fish were the 2 items mentioned in the new study?

 

[A.B.]

Does a gluten free diet cause heavy metal accumulation, or does heavy metal accumulation cause a gluten free diet?

 

[adelheid55]

Is Rice from the whole food shop also containing heavy metals?

 

[adreno]

Is Rice from the whole food shop also containing heavy metals?

All rice contain arsenic. White rice less so than brown.

 

[TrixieStix]

Is Rice from the whole food shop also containing heavy metals?

Yes you can assume it does. However some rice grown in certain places is known to contain less. Here are a couple articles that address the issue.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/the-trouble-with-rice/

 

[hixxy]

I was eating a lot of rice a couple of years ago and had a hair mineral analysis done and arsenic was off the charts.

 

[TrixieStix]

All rice contain arsenic. White rice less so than brown.

It's actually much more than aresenic unfortunately. This is a quote from the NYT article I linked to above.

"But it’s not just arsenic and cadmium, which are present in soil both as naturally occurring elements and as industrial byproducts. Recent studies have shown that rice is custom-built to pull a number of metals from the soil, among them mercury and even tungsten. The findings have led to a new push by scientists and growers to make the grain less susceptible to metal contamination."

 

[adelheid55]

Thank you... My daughter mentioned it because it was in our nwespaper but I told her not to worry because we eat brown rice from our whole food shop.
She is the one with a GF diet so is certainly eating more rice than the rest of us.

 

[adelheid55]

She had a blood analysis for heavy metals and had quite a lot of those in her blood. Now I understand why.

 

[TrixieStix]

She had a blood analysis for heavy metals and had quite a lot of those in her blood. Now I understand why.

White rice would be the better choice.

 

[TrixieStix]

Lundberg Family Farms brand rice which is grown in California is a good choice for those in the US. It's cheaper if you buy it in large quantities. I've been meaning to have my local natural foods store order me a 25lb bag of their white basmati.

Is Lundberg Family Farms testing for arsenic?
Yes, we have been testing for arsenic in our rice for the past five years. The average level of inorganic arsenic in our rice over this time is 93 parts per billion (ppb), or 4.2 micrograms per serving. Our 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 crop testing results only included brown rice. This level is less than half the standard for brown rice established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), less than half the standard for white rice established by EFSA and Codex, and slightly below the draft guidance issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for infant cereal.

http://www.lundberg.com/info/arsenic-in-food/product-faq/

 

[hixxy]

Lundberg Family Farms brand rice which is grown in California is a good chouce for those in the US. It's cheaper if you buy it in large quantities. I've been meaning to have my local natural foods store order me a 25lb bag of their white basmati.

It's sold on iherb for those not in the US. Obviously not in 25lb bags though.

https://au.iherb.com/c/Lundberg/Rice

 

[A.B.]

People with Celiac disease were lower in heavy metals than the other people eating a GFD. ??

It says that a gluten free diet is associated with higher blood mercury, lead, cadmium levels, as well as urine arsenic.

Whether the person on a gluten free diet has celiac disease or not makes little difference.

Persons following a GFD had significantly increased total blood mercury (1.37 mcg/L) compared with persons not on a GFD (0.93 mcg/L) (P=.008), as well as increased blood levels of lead (1.42 mcg/L vs 1.13 mcg/L; P=.007), and cadmium (0.42 mcg/L vs 0.34 mcg/L; P=.03). Urine samples from subjects on a GFD had higher concentrations of total arsenic (15.15 mcg/L) than urine samples from subjects not on a GFD (8.38 mcg/L) (P=.002). After controlling for demographic characteristics, levels of all heavy metals remained significantly higher in persons following a GFD, compared to those not following a GFD. After exclusion of persons with celiac disease, people without celiac disease on a GFD (n=101) had significantly increased blood concentrations of total mercury (1.40 mcg/L) than persons without celiac disease and not on a GFD (n=10,890) (0.93 mcg/L; P=.02) and higher blood concentrations of lead (1.44 mcg/L vs 1.13 mcg/L; P=.01) and higher urine concentrations of total arsenic (14.69 mcg/L, n=3632 vs. 8.32 mcg/L, n=28) (P=.01). Blood samples from persons without celiac disease avoiding gluten had higher levels of cadmium (0.42 mcg/L) than persons without celiac disease and not following a GFD (0.34 mcg/L), but this difference was not significant (P=.06).

 

[Snow Leopard]

This kind of study result is likely to be region specific, depending on the sources of food.

 

[TrixieStix]

This kind of study result is likely to be region specific, depending on the sources of food.

The study was done on people living in the US.

"In the US, about seven percent of rice is imported while the rest is grown within the country."

"The US produces rice in Louisiana, California, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi."

"Arsenic at lower levels is found in all soils, including American fields. The fertile soils fanning out across the Mississippi River floodplain are up to five times as high in arsenic as other parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, according to studies done by the United States Geological Survey."

"Scientists say that the cadmium occurring naturally in American soil is not high enough to cause acute disease."

"chronic exposure to arsenic, even at very low levels, can affect health. The F.D.A. is now considering whether a safety level should be set for arsenic in rice."

 

[Mij]

I switched to Lundsberg rice many years ago for this very reason.

I did test very high for mercury and borderline high for arsenic 15yrs ago. I was not on a GF diet but ate a lot of salmon.

 

[Laelia]

The levels of arsenic in rice was discussed in the latest BBC series of "Trust Me I'm a Doctor":

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/art...hould-i-be-concerned-about-arsenic-in-my-rice

They also demonstrated some simple preparation and cooking methods to greatly reduce the amount of arsenic in rice (see above article).

 

[caledonia]

Arsenic (and mercury) inhibit the citric acid cycle and pyruvate metabolism - two areas which are currently being studied as a cause for ME/CFS.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22340/

 

[Richard7]

I looked into this a while back and from memory the US issue was really to do with arsenic based pesticides. Land that had been used for cotton and was sprayed with arsenic for decades was switched over to rice production in the south giving you high arsenic rice.

Yes rice seems to draw it in, but if people add arsenic to the soil I blame the people.

It is also ridiculous spin that they are putting this out as being an issue with being gluten free, rather than pesticide use or selling food that is not safe to eat being the problem.

 

[alex3619]

Is Rice from the whole food shop also containing heavy metals?

Rice gets heavy metals from being immersed in water for much of the time, allowing increased metal absorption from the soil and ground water. Arsenic is a particular issue here, but then again its sometimes an issue from chicken too. However its not clear that all rice has this problem with heavy metals, it depends on soil and water quality in the particular growing region. White rice is also made using a mineral polishing agent sometimes, though I forget what it is they use. Rinsing white rise is advised.

I eat a lot of rice. I have elevated but not dangerous arsenic. I currently am facing probable heavy metal poisoning from a titanium implant.

Gluten may alter mineral absorption too. We know it affects the gut lining. What if it has beneficial effects too?

I am forced to eat gluten free, but also react to many gluten free manufactured products. I suspect corn/maize is the issue. I am not celiac, and am not convinced gluten is the problem. There are many chemicals in corn and wheat products and the grains themselves.