Lipid Disorders and Rice Bran Oil

Rice bran oil, like other vegetables oils, appears to favorably change lipid profile as well as reduce heart disease risk in other ways. Gamma oryzanol is a mixture of substances derived from rice bran oil, including sterols and ferulic acid. Both the oil and the gamma oryzanol may have health benefits.

Rice bran oil, like other vegetable oils, is low in saturated fat and appears to favorably change lipid profile as well as reduce heart disease risk in other ways, including being a substitute for less healthy oils and fats in the diet. Gamma oryzanol is thought to work by impairing cholesterol absorption in the digestive tract.¹¹

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Like many other vegetable oils, rice bran oil appears to improve cholesterol profile.⁸ Preliminary evidence, including small double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, suggests that the gamma oryzanol portion of rice bran oil may contribute an additional cholesterol-lowering benefit beyond the effects of the fatty acids.^2,3,8,10

Rice bran oil can be used in cooking (frying, sautéing, etc.), baking, and making salad dressings and marinades.

Rice bran oil is the principal source of gamma oryzanol, but it is also found in the bran of wheat and other grains, as well as various fruits, vegetables, and herbs. However, to get enough gamma oryzanol to reach typical therapeutic dosages, you will need to take supplements .A typical dosage of gamma oryzanol is 500 mg daily.

• Integrative MD
• Naturopathic doctor
• Holistic nutritionist or dietitian

In the late 1970s, a batch of rice bran oil was contaminated by PCBs (polychlorobiphenyls), resulting in the poisoning of more than 2,000 people. This led to studies on the safety of gamma oryzanol products. On balance, the results of these investigations suggest that gamma oryzanol, when taken at normal doses, is nontoxic and noncarcinogenic.⁸ However, the maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established.

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2. Rong N, Ausman LM, Nicolosi RJ. Oryzanol decreases cholesterol absorption and aortic fatty streaks in hamsters. Lipids. 1997;32:303-309.
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11. Berger A, Rein D, Schafer A, et al. Similar cholesterol-lowering properties of rice bran oil, with varied gamma-oryzanol, in mildly hypercholesterolemic men. Eur J Nutr. 2004 May 19. [Epub ahead of print]