Scientists claim: you have cooked rice in a wrong and unhealthy way your entire lives!

Rice is one of the most popular foods worldwide, and it's super easy to make. You just boil some water, add rice, and you're done, right?

Well, after you read this, you might think twice about how you cook rice—because it turns out that cooking it this way can be bad for your health.

Rice feeds billions of people around the globe. Even though it's generally healthy, the pesticides used to grow it often have arsenic in them.

The risks of arsenic have been debated by scientists lately. Long-term exposure to this toxin can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other health issues, according to the British Telegraph.

When scientist Prof. Andy Meharg from Queens University in Belfast appeared on the BBC show "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor," he tried three different ways to cook rice to see how they affected the arsenic levels.

First, Andy cooked the rice using a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 3 cups of water.

Then, he tried 1 cup of rice to 5 cups of water and drained the leftover water after cooking. This cut the arsenic levels in half.

Finally, he soaked the rice overnight in water and rinsed it before cooking. This method lowered the arsenic levels by an impressive 80%!

For many of us who eat rice, this is a real eye-opener. We had no idea there was so much arsenic in rice, and we definitely didn't know it could be reduced by changing how we cook it.

From now on, we'll cook rice the way Andy recommends to keep our families healthy for years to come.

How to cook rice the right and healthy way:

• Measure the amount of rice you want to cook
• Soak it in water the night before
• Wash the rice until the water runs clear
• Drain it well
• Put the rice and water in a pot at a ratio of 1:5, and add a little salt
• Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot
• Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes
• Use a fork to fluff the rice and check if it's ready

Give this method a try—the rice will be tasty, and most importantly, it's better for your health.