Rice bran oil (also known as rice bran extract) is the oil extracted from the germ and

inner husk of rice. It is notable for its high smoke point of 213C (415F) and its mild flavor, making it suitable for hightemperature cooking methods such as stir frying anddeep frying. It is popular as a cooking oil in several [1] Asian countries, including Japan andChina.
Contents
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1 Uses 2 Composition 3 Health benefits

o o o o

3.1 Cholesterol 3.2 Menopause 3.3 Antioxidant stability 3.4 Other benefits

4 See also 5 References

[edit]Uses Rice bran wax, obtained from rice bran oil, is used as a substitute for carnauba wax in cosmetics, [1] confectionery, shoe creams and polishing compounds. [edit]Composition Rice bran oil has a composition similar to that of peanut oil, with 38%monounsaturated, [1] 37% polyunsaturated, and 25% saturated fatty acids. The fatty acid composition is:

Fatty acid

Percentage

C14:0 Myristic acid

0.6%

C16:0 Palmitic acid

21.5%

C18:0 Stearic acid

2.9%

C18:1 Oleic acid

38.4%

C18:2 Linoleic acid

34.4%

C18:3 -Linolenic acid [edit]Health

2.2%

benefits

A medically significant component of rice bran oil is the antioxidant -oryzanol, at around 2% of crude oil content. Thought to be a single compound when initially isolated, it is now known to be a mixture of steryl [1] and other triterpenyl esters of ferulic acids. Also significant is the relatively high fractions of tocopherols and tocotrienols, taken together as vitamin E. Rice bran oil is also rich in otherphytosterols which may provide health benefits. [edit]Cholesterol Literature review shows rice bran oil and its active constituents improve blood cholesterol by reducing [2] total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing the proportion of HDL cholesterol. Results of [3] an animal study indicated a 42% decrease in total cholesterol with a 62% drop in LDL cholesterol, when researchers supplemented test subjects' diets with fractionated vitamin E obtained from rice bran oil. [edit]Menopause The rice bran oil component -oryzanol was shown in Japan to be effective in relieving hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Researchers found 90% of the women found some form of relief from hot [4] flashes after taking a rice bran oil supplement for four to six weeks. [edit]Antioxidant

stability

Studies have shown the antioxidant stability in rice bran oil remains almost constant even when heated at frying temperatures. The study of thermal degradation and antioxidant stability in the oil is carried out by heating the oil to the frying temperature up to 250C for 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2hrs. The density of rice bran oil is found to be constant throughout the time of heating indicates no molecular changes occurred due to antioxidant activity in the oil. The oxidative stability of rice bran oil was equivalent to or better than soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, and safflower oil in a model system that simulated deep frying [5] conditions. ) [edit]Other

benefits

Other potential properties of rice bran oil include modulation of pituitary secretion, inhibition of gastric acid [2] secretion, antioxidant action, inhibition of platelet aggregation, lowering of blood pressure and regulation [6] of cholesterol.

Rice bran oil is extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice. It has a mild taste and is popular in Asian cuisine because of its suitability for high-temperature cooking methods such as deep-frying and stir-frying. It is said to be the secret of good tempura. Related Weil Products Dr. Weil's Vitamin Advisor for Your Whole Body - Foods, herbs and drugs can all interact, sometimes in unexpected ways. Dr. Weil's Vitamin Advisor takes known interactions into account when developing nutritional supplement recommendations, to help safeguard against adverse effects. Learn more, and get your free, personalized Dr. Weil's Vitamin Advisor recommendation today. Rice bran oil is mostly monounsaturated - a tablespoon contains 7 grams of monounsaturated fat, three of saturated fat and five of polyunsaturated fat. In comparison, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains 11 grams of monounsaturated fat, two grams of saturated fat and one gram of polyunsaturated fat. Rice bran oil also contains components of vitamin E that may benefit health. A study from the University of Rochester in New York showed that isolated vitamin fractions in rice bran oil may be useful for cholesterol control, although most of the evidence for this comes from studies in lab animals. In one of these studies, total cholesterol dropped by 42 percent in lab rats fed a concentrated fraction of vitamin E called tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) extracted from rice bran oil. The animals' LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels dropped as much as 62 percent after their diets were supplemented with TRF. The study was published in the May, 2005, issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology. Earlier studies by the same research team showed that TRF boosts the activity of liver enzymes that clear toxic substances from the liver and reduces or stabilizes liver tumors. The group concluded that long-term use of tocotrienol might reduce overall cancer risk. This research might support supplementing with tocotrienols, but I haven't seen much research on rice bran oil's contribution to human health. For household use, it doesn't measure up to olive oil in terms of monounsaturated fat. Its higher smoke point would make it more suitable for high temperature cooking, which I recommend you keep to a minimum in any case.