India, April 11 -- In a public health advisory shared on Instagram, UK-based nutritionist Zib Atkins issued a stark warning about global rice consumption, specifically targeting the production geography and the varieties consumers choose. He titled his March 18 post 'The best rice for health' and highlighted a growing concern over heavy metal contamination in staple grains. Also read | Is fermented rice good for heart health? Experts explain why it may work well for your health

Zib identified arsenic as the primary concern for rice eaters. Unlike many other crops, rice is grown in flooded conditions, which makes it particularly effective at absorbing arsenic from the soil, he explained. "The problem here is that arsenic, that toxic heavy...