Healthy Oil Products From Thailand, Rice Bran Oil

Author: Michihiro Sugano and Etsuko Tsuji 

Dietary fat is a crucial factor in the regulation of plasma cholesterol levels, and there is overwhelming evidence to support the hypocholesterolemic effect of vegetable oils that are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid. Rice bran oil (RBO) is not a popular oil worldwide, but it is in steady demand as a so-called “healthy oil” not only in Japan but also in Asian countries, particularly India. Approximately 80 thousand tons of RBO, corresponding to only 3.5% of total vegetable oils, is consumed annually in Japan.

A number of studies in humans and animals have shown that RBO is as effective as other vegetable oils in lowering plasma cholesterol levels. In some cases, RBO lowered plasma cholesterol more effectively than other commonly used vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid; this effect can be attributed to the occurrence of specific components in RBO, -oryzanol (and its constituents, triterpene alcohols) and perhaps tocotrienols.

A range of human and animal studies have shown that rice bran oil (RBO) is an edible oil of preference for improving serum cholesterol levels and lipoprotein profiles with similarity to the more commonly used vegetable oils such as corn oil and safflower oil. Of particular interest is the observation that blending RBO with safflower oil at a definite proportion (7:3, wt/wt) magnifies the hypocholesterolemic efficacy, compared with the effect of each oil alone. Although the mechanism underlying this effect is not apparent at present, the blending may have a practical significance. The blending effect was reproduced in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet, and there was also a decrease in liver cholesterol. The occurrence of peculiar components such as -oryzanol and tocotrienols could be responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effect of RBO.

Author: http://www.honestfoods.com/topgriloil.html

Frying
Pure rice bran oil, exhibits excellent frying performance and contributes a pleasant flavor to the fried food. It possesses good storage stability and fry life without hydrogenation. These properties make it a premium choice for frying upscale products with delicate flavors. Most Japanese restaurants in the USA have now switched to Rice Bran Oil for their Tempura Frying Oil because of its superior performance in this special application. General frying applications, ranging from French fries to chicken, rice bran oil exhibits excellent taste and texture. Since hydrogenation isn’t required for stability, it is a natural high-quality liquid frying oil that is also free of trans-fatty acids.

Stir-Frying
Rice Bran Oil is also a great choice for use in stir-frying. While its delicate, nut-like character complements the natural flavor of stir-fried meats, seafoods and vegetables, it never overpowers them. A further advantage is its natural resistance to smoking at high frying temperatures. Not surprisingly, rice bran oil has quickly become the oil of choice by many high-end Asian-American restaurants.

Salad Dressing
Rice Bran Oil has a light, barely perceptible flavor, making it wonderful to use with gourmet vinegars and spices. The oil emulsifies easily, so dressings don’t separate.

Baking
Because of rice oil’s light flavor, it has found favor in baking applications. Brownies and other baked goods made with rice oil turn out light and delicious. Baking sheets and cake pans coated with rice oil allow the baked goods to come out of the pan or off the cookie sheet with no trouble at all.

Soap Manufacturing
Rice Bran Oil has a long and successful history in Japan as a base for soaps and skin creams. The oil is purported to reverse the effect of aging by slowing the formation of facial wrinkles thanks to rice bran oil’s rich concentration of Vitamin E and gamma-oryzanol. In Japan, women who use rice bran oil on their skin are known as ‘rice bran beauties’. In the US, rice oil has gained a strong and loyal following with soap manufacturers and artisans.

Supplement for Horses, Dogs and other animals
Rice oil has found favor with performance horses or older horses that have a difficult time keeping weight on. The rice oil is purported to give horse and dog coats a rich, shiny look. Some zoos are even feeding rice oil as a supplement to their tigers and lions!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TOPHE GRILLING OIL

Gamma Oryzanol
Rice bran oil is rich in gamma-oryzanol, a group of ferulate esters of triterpene alcohols and phytosterols. The high antioxidant property of gamma-oryzanol has been widely recognized. Studies have shown several physiological effects related to gamma-oryzanol and related rice bran oil components. These include its ability to reduce plasma cholesterol, reduce cholesterol absorption and decrease early atherosclerosis, inhibit platelet aggregation, and increase fecal bile acid excretion. Oryzanol has also been used to treat nerve imbalance and disorders of menopause.

Tocotrienols
Rice bran oil is the only readily available oil, other than palm, that contains significant levels (approximately 500 ppm) of tocotrienols. These occur in at least four known forms and are similar to the tocopherols in chemical structure. They belong to the vitamin E family and are powerful natural antioxidants. The protective benefits of dietary antioxidants in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer have been widely publicized.

Rice Bran Oil is a healthy oil with uses in cooking, frying, as a salad dressing, baking, soap making, as even a supplement to horses, dogs and other animals.

Why Rice Bran Oil in cooking? For grilling, you need an oil that can take the heat. Specifically, you want an oil with a high smoke point, the point at which oil starts to smoke. When cooking, you don’t want your oil to smoke, because it imparts a negative flavor to the foods.

Rice bran oil’s smoke point is 490 degrees F, higher than even grapeseed oil (480 degrees) or peanut oil (320 - 450 degrees). This means that even in the hottest of situations, rice bran oil won’t smoke or breakdown. Your foods will taste better, and they will be less likely to stick to the grill or griddle.

Pure rice bran oil is a rich source of Vitamin E, an anti-oxidant. Rice bran oil is also a rich in the neutraceutical gamma-oryzanol (see below for health benefits).

Rice Bran Oil has NO cholesteral and NO trans fatty acids. It is naturally low in saturated fat.

Rice Bran Oil is also rich in oleic and linoleic fatty acids.

Rice Bran Oil is naturally free of trans fatty acids (TFA’s)

Author: Melanie (http://www.dietriffic.com/2007/10/12/is-rice-bran-oil-healthy/)

Recently we’ve been taking a look at some of the cooking oils available in supermarkets and health food stores. Some of these oils have been pretty well known. However, rice bran oil is one which is relatively new to me, and I actually had an extremely difficult time finding sound information about it.

What is rice bran oil?

Well, it is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of the rice. It has a very mild and clean flavour, making it suitable for a range of different dishes. It is notable for its high smoke point of 250°C, and also for its zero trans fat content. In terms of the touted health benefits, it is a source of the antioxidant vitamin E, and contains the plant sterol oryzanol, which is thought to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

What about the fat content of rice bran oil?

It contains roughly:

• 47% monounsaturated fatty acids
• 33% polyunsaturated fatty acids
• 20% saturated fatty acids

If we take an even closer look at this oil, we find that it has very little omega-3 fatty acids (unlike canola oil), and is reasonably high in omega-6 fatty acids. Why does this matter? Well, olive oil is also low in omega-3s, however it is much higher in monounsaturated fats than rice bran oil - a source of monounsaturated fat should be our first choice, where possible.

That said however, if you do occasionally deep-fry foods, rice bran oil is perhaps one of the best options. The high smoking point means that it can withstand hot cooking temperatures, without degrading as quickly as some other oils on the market.

Would I recommend it’s use?

Well, that depends on what I’m using it for! Olive oil is the superior oil in my opinion, in addition to what I’ve said above, it also has a lower saturated fat content than rice bran oil.

Also, generally speaking our diets are already reasonably high in polyunsaturated fat, while some of these fats are essential to the body, too much is not healthy, and therefore it may be wise to reduce the consumption of any oil, which is higher in polyunsaturated fats (i.e. rice bran oil).

Unfortunately, once again, the answer is not black or white - but it’s somewhere muddled in the middle, and open to personal interpretation.

What are your thoughts? Do you use rice bran oil?

As consumers become increasingly health-conscious, it’s more important than ever for food manufacturers to choose their ingredients carefully. Arista Industries offers a wide range of plant-derived oils, including olive, rice bran, safflower and sunflower oils, that can help manufacturers create healthy, appealing food products.

Primarily imported from Spain and Italy, Arista’s olive oil can be used for cooking, baking and as a condiment. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, making it a healthy fat that can be used to replace detrimental fats in many food applications. In 2004, FDA allowed a qualified health claim for monounsaturated fat from olive oil for reduced risk of coronary heart disease. The oil also contains several minor healthy components, including the antioxidants beta carotene and tocopherols, and magnesium-rich chlorophyll. It also contains phenolics and phytosterols, which have antioxidant effects and have been shown to inhibit low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol absorption.

There are three primary grades of olive oil: extra virgin, pure and pomace/ Grade B. Extra virgin is first-pressed oil, which is only filtered, not processed or refined. It has a dark-green to golden color, and smells and tastes like olives. Pure olive oil is pressed, then refined. This results in oil that is lighter in color and flavor than extra virgin oil, and is golden yellow with a green undertone. Grade B, or pomace olive oil, is chemically extracted and fully refined. This has very little olive flavor or smell, but still provides the healthy benefits of olive oil.

Rice bran oil is chemically extracted, then fully refined, bleached, deodorized and dewaxed, or winterized, depending on the application. Rice bran oil is popular in several countries for use as a frying, cooking and salad oil, due to its high smoke point and delicate flavor. It has good stability, flavor and shelf life, as well as an acceptable cost and strong consumer appeal. Further, rice bran oil has been shown to help reduce cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The oil has a good fatty-acid profile and is a rich source of antioxidants and micronutrients, as well as tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Safflower oil is typically pressed, then chemically extracted as well as fully refined, bleached and deodorized. It is a flavorless, pale-yellow oil that contains more polyunsaturates than any other oil. It has a high smoke point, making it ideal for deep frying, and is also popular for use in salad dressings because it does not solidify when chilled. Safflower is an annual oilseed crop. There are two types of safflower oil: oleic, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, and linoleic, which is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

High-oleic safflower oil is currently in demand, as it is lower in saturates and higher in monounsaturates than olive oil. This type of safflower oil is heat stable and used for frying french fries, chips and other snack items. It is also used in food coatings and infant food formulations.

Sunflower oil is chemically extracted, then fully refined, bleached, deodorized and winterized. It is light in flavor and appearance, and supplies more vitamin E than almost any other vegetable oil. This versatile, healthy oil is valued all over the world for its light taste, frying performance and health benefits. It contains a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and has low saturated-fat levels.

There are three types of sunflower oil: linoleic, mid-oleic and high-oleic. Linoleic is a common cooking oil that has high levels of polyunsaturates. It is also known for having a clean flavor and low levels of trans fat. High-oleic sunflower oils are classified as having monounsaturated levels of 75% and above. Sunflower oil has been shown to have cardiovascular benefits, as its low fat content and high level of oleic acid help lower cholesterol.

Author: Virgo Publishing, LLC.

Not too long ago, using the words “healthy” and “fat” in the same breath just wasn’t done. But now, the word about good fats has spread. Health-conscious consumers are working to cut back on bad fats, and they’re relying on the food industry to provide tasty options that are low in saturated fats. In turn, food-product developers are relying on healthy oils to provide the functional properties of fat in their formulations. Rice bran oil is one such product; it’s versatile, free of trans fatty acids, and it has an added bonus: antioxidants.

Vitamin E, in the form of tocopherol and tocotrienol, naturally occurs in rice bran oil. Said to protect cells against free radicals, vitamin E may help prevent certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Further, rice bran oil contains oryzanol, a combination of sterols and ferulic acid that has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein, or so-called “bad” cholesterol.

Rice bran oil is similar to peanut oil in fatty-acid composition, and has a slightly higher saturation level than conventional soybean oil (approximate 2.5% of the total fatty acids higher). Oleic and linoleic fatty acids make up more than 80% of the fatty acids. Further, the low linolenic acid content of rice bran oil (1.1%) makes it more stable to oxidation than soybean oil (6.8%). Its appearance ranges from cloudy to clear, depending on the dewaxing processes applied.

Already widely used as a frying oil in Asia, rice bran oil can be used in place of vegetable oils in most applications. It has a subtle, nutlike flavor and good storage stability. It also has a good fry life, is resistant to smoking at high-frying temperatures and doesn’t require hydrogenation. This is largely due to the oil’s moderate level of saturated fatty acids, and partially due to its low linolenic-acid content.

Many Japanese restaurants in the United States use this oil for frying tempura and for stir-frying, as its delicate flavor does not overpower meat, seafood or vegetables. It can also be used in place of coconut oil for a popcorn oil with a lower saturated-fat content.

When processed to retain high levels of antioxidant tocopherols and tocotrienols, rice bran oil also can be used as a coating for crackers, nuts and other snacks to extend shelf life. Further, rice bran oil can be blended with less-stable oils to improve their stability in food systems. Because rice bran oil forms a stable ß’ crystal lattice and it has an intermediate palmitic acid content, it provides good plasticity, creaminess and spreading properties to margarine and shortening without hydrogenation.