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: 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?

Author: Leslie Orr (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/24319.php)

A natural component of rice bran oil lowers cholesterol in rats, and ongoing research also shows it may have potential as an anti-cancer and anti-infection agent in humans, according to a University of Rochester scientist who has studied the antioxidant since 1996.

The latest findings from Mohammad Minhajuddin, Ph.D., and colleagues, are reported in the May 2005 Food and Chemical Toxicology journal. They show that total cholesterol levels in animals dropped by 42 percent, and LDL or “bad cholesterol” levels dropped up to 62 percent, after their diets were supplemented with a concentrated form of Vitamin E called tocotrienol rich fraction or TRF isolated from rice bran oil.

Vitamin E, which has been widely studied for its health benefits, consists of both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Much research has focused on the tocopherols derived from corn, wheat and soybean. But the tocotrienols (TRF) seem to have greater antioxidant properties and are becoming more noteworthy in scientific research, Minhajuddin says. TRF is derived from barley, oats, palm and rice bran.

The best form of TRF comes from rice bran oil, which is contained in the outer grain hull of rice. Its properties inhibit the activity of HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. However, since taking any form of Vitamin E for a long time can be harmful, the purpose of Minhajuddin’s latest reported research was to find the minimum dose of TRF that provided the maximum antioxidants and effectively lowered cholesterol.

The results: The most effective dose in rats was 8 IU kg/day. Extrapolated to humans, a person with an average body weight of 154 pounds would get around 560 IU, which is close to the 400 IU of Vitamin E normally taken. (The upper tolerable intake of Vitamin E is 1500 IU).

Researchers have been investigating natural ways (besides diet and exercise) to achieve lower cholesterol levels, despite the popularity and effectiveness of statin drugs. Although millions of Americans take statins and do well, they are expensive and they come with side effects. So far, scientists have not found any adverse effects of tocotrienols, says Minhajuddin, a research associate in the Department of Pediatrics.

Minhajuddin, who is from India, also has preliminary, unpublished data from a study he conducted in that country, showing that TRF reduces cholesterol in humans as well as in animals. Five healthy volunteers with total cholesterol levels in the “normal” range of 170-230 mg/dL, who ingested TRF in capsule form at a dose of 8 IU kg/day for four weeks, saw their cholesterol levels drop by 10 percent with a 26-percent decline in LDL-cholesterol levels. A case study of a 5-year-old boy in India, who had a genetic defect (familial hypercholesterolemia) that caused his total cholesterol to climb to 440 mg/dL, resulted in a 20-percent decline after about two months of tocotrienol supplements. The boy’s cholesterol did rise again, however, after 100 weeks of TRF supplements.

In addition, Minhajuddin and colleagues previously showed in animals that TRF reacts with liver enzymes in such a way that it clears toxic substances from the organ, and reduces or stabilizes liver tumors. The group concluded that long-term use of tocotrienol might reduce overall cancer risk, according to published research last year in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention. Currently, Minhajuddin’s research group is using a scientific model to study infection and the immune system, and how to regulate the expression of a gene called ICAM-1 on the surface of endothelial cells.

Much of Minhajuddin’s research on TRF was carried out in India until he joined the UR faculty in 2003. A Research Fellowship from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, funded his work.

Author: Most, M. M., Tulley, R., Morales, S., Lefevre, M.

Rice bran, a coproduct of milled rice, and its oil may have cardiovascular health benefits. Human consumption of rice bran has been limited, primarily because of the rapid onset of rancidity in rice bran, but methods to stabilize rice bran and to extract its oil have been developed. Interest in rice bran grew from the determination that the inclusion of oat bran in the diet lowers serum cholesterol. Studies of rice bran supplementation in humans found similar beneficial effects on lipoproteins. In a 10-wk controlled feeding trial, rice bran was as effective as oat bran in lowering blood cholesterol concentrations in men and women with moderately high blood cholesterol concentrations.

Rice bran contains 10–23% oil and (unlike oat bran) negligible amounts of water-soluble
-glucans and larger amounts of insoluble dietary fiber. Because of these differences, it is believed that rice bran lowers cholesterol by a mechanism different from that of oat bran. Decreases in cholesterol were found in hypercholesterolemic subjects who replaced their usual cooking oils with rice bran oil and in middle-aged and elderly subjects consuming a low-fat diet containing rice bran oil. Yet rice bran oil typically contains 20% saturated fatty acids and approximately equal amounts of oleic and linoleic fatty acids. Previous research showed the deleterious effects of saturated fatty acids on total cholesterol concentrations, and the fact that rice bran oil lowers cholesterol is contrary to these findings. Research now suggests that rice bran oil’s cholesterol-lowering properties are explained by its unsaponifiable components more than by its fatty acid composition. Attention has begun to focus on the components of rice bran oil, including phytosterols, triterpene alcohols, tocopherols, and tocotrienols, as possible hypocholesterolemic agents.

We examined further the cholesterol-lowering abilities of rice bran’s fiber and oil apart from its fatty acid composition. This was accomplished with 2 well-controlled feeding studies designed to evaluate the effects of using defatted rice bran and rice bran oil in an average American diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women.

Author: California Rice Oil

Rice is one of the world’s most important food crops and more than half of the people in the world eat rice as the main part of their diets. In some parts of the world, the word “to eat” literally means “to eat rice.” Young rice plants have a bright green color and as the grain ripens the plants turn golden-yellow. A typical rice kernel is 1/4 to 3/8 inches long.

Rice Bran Oil is truly “The World’s Healthiest” edible oil, containing vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and trans fat free. It’s not just delicate and flavorful, it can help lower cholesterol, fight diseases, enhance the immune system, fight free radicals and more. Rice Bran Oil is extremely light, versatile and delicious. Use it to fry, sauté, in salad dressings, baking, dipping oils and where ever you use cooking oil. Once you use it you will be amazed cooking light and healthy is also the best tasting.

Rice bran oil is vastly superior to traditional cooking oils and can be considered a nutraceutical (food as medicine) oil that is perfect for all your healthy cooking needs. Rice Bran Oil is quickly becoming a favorite in commercial frying to replace hydrogenated oils that contain trans fat. This is due to rice bran oils health, flavor and performance benefits.