Rice Bran Oil Benefits

As the name suggests, rice bran oil is a product obtained by the extraction of germ and inner husk of rice. The oil is known for its suitability for cooking methods which are carried out at high temperatures, such as stir frying and deep frying. This is due to the fact that the oil remains stable at relatively high temperatures. So, you do not have to run the risk of overheating and burning the food, before they are cooked all the way through. The oil gives a nutty flavor, ideal color and desirable texture to different fried foods. But this is not the only factor which makes the rice bran oil popular. It is drawing people's attention with its different nutritional properties. Apart from being delicate and flavorful, the oil is a storehouse of vitamins, antioxidants and many other nutrients.

How Does Rice Bran Oil Benefit the Body

The beneficial properties of the rice bran oil comes from its two important natural antioxidants, oryzanol and tocotrienol. The former one, i.e., oryzanol is responsible for reducing the levels of 'bad cholesterol' (LDL) without affecting the level of 'good cholesterol' (HDL). It also reduces reduce plasma cholesterol and cholesterol absorption. Apart from these, it has the ability to treat nerved impulses, disorders of menopause and early atherosclerosis. Tocotrienol is known to be one of the potent antioxidants with anti-cancer properties and rice bran oil contains about 500 ppm of it. It eliminates toxins in the liver and prevent liver tumors.

Foods cooked with this oil helps in reducing calories, taste better and have good flavor and palatability. The reason behind this is the light viscosity of the oil which makes oil absorption 20% less than other cooking oil. Components such as saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are kept in a balanced state in this oil. This in turn helps improve serum cholesterol levels, and reduced risks of various cardiovascular disease. Also, the oil is most suitable for people allergic to certain cooking oils.

The oil is believed to keep the skin smooth and supple. Cosmetics products like sunscreen products and hair conditioners, lipsticks and fingernail polish also have this oil as one of their active ingredients.

This oil is a rich source of insoluble fiber. This group of fiber does not undergo metabolism by intestinal enzymes. This causes the production of larger stool size, which in turn, dilutes carcinogens. So with the dilution of carcinogens, the risks of colon cancer gets reduced. The oil is also composed of what is known as Phytonutrients. These compounds have been found to exhibit beneficial properties in treating medical conditions like kidney stones, heart disease, fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and cancer.

As you can see, the properties of the rice bran oil are different and provide more benefits than those of other cooking oils. Considering the benefits discussed above, it can be inferred that this oil is always a better and healthy choice for the whole family.