Rice is a dinner table staple for many people. However, inorganic arsenic, a "toxic trace element" that can actually enter the food chain through groundwater, is found in rice, according to Healthline. If you don't rinse your rice before using it, you're making a crucial mistake. This is because rinsing rice removes some of that excess arsenic. Doing so before adding your rice to the rice cooker can remove anywhere from 10 to 28% of arsenic, per Healthline.

米饭是许多人餐桌上的主食。然而，据Healthline报道，无机砷是一种“有毒微量元素”，可以通过地下水进入食物链，在大米中发现。如果你在使用米饭之前不把它冲洗干净，你就犯了一个严重的错误。这是因为冲洗大米可以去除一些多余的砷。按照Healthline的说法，在将米饭放入电饭煲之前这样做可以去除10%到28%的砷。

Washing rice is especially important if you're using brown rice, as it contains more arsenic than white rice. While rinsing off rice is an important part of preparation, you'll also want to ensure the rice has plenty of water in which to cook. Washing your rice beforehand and cooking it in clean water can reduce the amount of arsenic by 57% (via Healthline). If using white or brown rice still leaves you feeling uncomfortable, you can switch to other types of rice that are lower in arsenic, like jasmine or basmati rice.

如果你用的是糙米，洗米则更为重要，因为糙米比白米含有更多的砷。虽然冲洗大米是准备工作的一个重要部分，但你也要确保大米有足够的水来煮饭。事先清洗大米，然后在干净的水中烹饪，可以减少57%的砷含量。如果使用白米或糙米仍然让你感觉不舒服，你可以换成其他类型的低砷大米，如茉莉花或巴马蒂大米。

What arsenic can do to your body

砷对你的身体有什么影响

"Unusually large doses of inorganic arsenic can cause symptoms ranging from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to dehydration and shock," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Organic arsenic, on the other hand, is considered non-toxic. It is typically found in seafood, but the amount contained is much lower than what's found in inorganic arsenic.

根据疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)的说法，“异常大剂量的无机砷会引起恶心、呕吐、腹泻、脱水和休克等症状。”。另一方面，有机砷被认为是无毒的。它通常存在于海鲜中，但其含量远低于无机砷中的含量。

Continued exposure to inorganic arsenic can be especially dangerous, causing serious conditions like "skin disorders, an increased risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer," according to the CDC. While you're more likely to encounter inorganic arsenic through drinking water, it can still be found in rice and even some fruit juice. Unfortunately, you can't tell how much arsenic is in your rice by simply looking at it. Instead, simply make rinsing your rice a habit before cooking it, and always cook it in clean water.

根据疾病预防控制中心的说法，持续接触无机砷尤其危险，会导致严重的疾病，如“皮肤疾病、糖尿病、高血压和几种癌症的风险增加”。虽然你更可能通过饮用水接触无机砷，但它仍然可以在大米甚至一些果汁中找到。不幸的是，你无法通过简单的观察来判断大米中的砷含量。行而有效的是，在烹调米饭之前，把清洗大米作为一种习惯，并且一直用干净的水烹调即可。