Benefits of Rice Bran Oil And Its Side Effects
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2025
Research has shown that rice bran oil has many health benefits when compared to other cooking oils. Rice bran oil helps in menopausal issues, helps in cholesterol control, helps in preventing cancer, controls premature aging, helps in weight loss efforts, helps in making skin healthy, helps to boost immunity, improves the endocrine system, improves liver function, promotes healthy hair growth, helps in improving cardiovascular health and contains good fats.
Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice (Oryza sativa) after chaff (rice husk). It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It is popular as cooking oil in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Japan, India, Korea, Indonesia and China. It is also used as an ingredient for salad dressings due to its delicate and light flavour.
Nutritional Value of Rice Bran Oil
100 grams of rice bran oil serves 3,700 kJ (880 kcal) of energy. The total saturated fat composition is 25% (out of Myristic acid is 0.6%, Palmitic acid is 21.5%, Stearic acid is 2.9%), total unsaturated fat is 75% (of which monounsaturated fat is 38%, oleic acid is 38% and polyunsaturated fat is 37%), Omega-3 fatty acids is 2.2%, Omega-6 fatty acids is 34.4%, Iodine value is 99 to 108, Acid value is 1.2 and Saponification value is 180-190.
Nutritional facts Per 100 Grams
Health Benefits of Rice Bran Oil
Helps in Menopausal Issues
Research has been conducted on an extract of rice bran oil in terms of how it affects menopausal women. More than 90% of the women who took the supplement reported a reduction in hot flashes and other irritating symptoms of menopause that all women eventually suffer from.
Helps in Cholesterol Control
The World Health Organization and the American Heart Association have both stated that rice bran oil has the best possible composition of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats compared to all other vegetable oils. This balance of fatty acids suggests that the cholesterol levels in the body can actually be reduced because the beneficial forms of cholesterol actually inhibit the “bad” forms of cholesterol from bonding in the body. This can help reduce conditions like atherosclerosis and the subsequent afflictions like heart attacks and strokes.
Helps in preventing Cancer
Rice brain oil is a rich source of antioxidants, both in various forms of vitamin E, as well as compounds such as oryzanol. There is a lot of vitamin E in rice bran oil, including both tocopherol and tocotrienol, which most vegetable oils cannot claim. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, which means that free radicals in the body are neutralized. Free radicals are the dangerous by-products of cellular metabolism that can cause healthy cells to mutate into cancerous cells. Therefore, keeping a steady flow of antioxidants coming into the body is essential for reducing the chances of developing various types of cancer.
Controls premature aging
Vitamin E is known for more than helping to prevent cancer. Vitamin E (tocopherol) are directly connected to the health and wellness of the skin. Free radicals can attack the skin cells and increase the signs of premature aging. Rice bran oil can increase the levels of vitamin E within the body, which can speed up wound healing, increase cellular regeneration, smooth skin, reduce wrinkles, and provide protection from sunburn. Vitamin E also helps to boost the protective quality of skin cells, keeping foreign toxins and pathogens from entering through the skin.
Helps in weight loss efforts
Although rice bran oil is technically high in calories, but the viscosity of rice bran oil actually means that the food only absorbs about 20% of the oil. When less oil is absorbed, the food still retains the flavor and gets the health benefits of the rice bran oil, but the total caloric intake by the body is less than other vegetable oils, so rice bran oil is probably the best choice if one is worried about their weight.
Helps in making skin healthy
Rice bran oil helps in improving the health of the skin. It contains a compound known as squalene that boosts skin health. Wrinkle formation can be prevented, and skin aging can be delayed by its natural moisturizing action. With this oil, the skin can be protected from damage caused by the sun and helps in improving the skin tone. It can also prevent skin conditions such as eczema.
Helps to boost immunity
Rice bran oil is rich in antioxidants, and this is what helps it boost the immune system of the body effectively. When included as a part of one’s daily diet, their body gains the ability to fight free radicals and improves its ability to keep various diseases away.
Improves The Endocrine System
Rice bran oil as already known is rich in vitamin E. This vitamin improves the functioning of the endocrine system by balancing the release of hormones in the body.
Improves Liver Function
The different healthy compounds and properties that are found in rice bran oil help in the improvement of liver function very significantly. The development of fatty liver can also be prevented by adding this oil to one’s daily diet.
Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
The presence of ferulic acid and esters in rice bran oil help in stimulating hair growth. It is also rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, which provide many benefits for hair. Omega-3 as well as omega-6 fatty acids provide nourishment to the hair and also prevent premature graying of hair. Using of Rice bran oil as a hot-oil treatment to pamper one’s hair and making it a part of their hair care regimen can also be done to gain beautiful and healthy hair.
Helps in Improving cardiovascular health
Heart diseases have become quite common due to the many oil-laden foods that people consume every day. Rice bran oil can help lower the risk of developing heart disease as it contains oryzanol, which is a substance that is a superb aid in lowering levels of blood cholesterol, blood clotting, etc. Heart disease can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices.
Contains Good Fats
The National Institute of Nutrition and The Indian Council of Medical Research recommend oils that have an equal proportion of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Rice bran oil has an almost balanced fatty acid composition that is close to this ratio. Rice bran oil is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and free of trans-fats. Hence the consumption of this oil is for the body.
Uses of Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil is an edible oil which is used in the preparation of vegetable ghee. Rice bran wax, obtained from rice bran oil and palpanese extract, is used as a substitute for carnauba wax in cosmetics, confectionery, shoe creams and polishing compounds.
Side-Effects & Allergies of Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil is safe for most people. However some people experience a few adverse effects after regular consumption of rice bran oil. These include development of gas or flatulence and/or stomach discomfort. These symptoms can appear after consumption and they are not very serious, but can cause some discomfort.
Cultivation of Rice Bran Oil
India is an important centre of rice cultivation. The rice is cultivated on a large scale in India. Historians believe that while the indica variety of rice was first domesticated in the area covering the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas (i.e. north-eastern India), stretching through Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Southern China, the japonica variety was domesticated from wild rice in Southern China that was later introduced to India. Perennial wild rice still grows in Assam and Nepal. It seems to have appeared around 1400 BC in Southern India after its domestication in the northern plains. It then spread to all the fertile alluvial plains watered by rivers. Some people say that the word rice is derived from the Tamil word “arisi”.
Rice is first mentioned in the Yajur Veda (c. 1500-800 BC) and then is frequently referred to in Sanskrit texts. Rice is often directly associated with prosperity and fertility; hence there is the custom of throwing rice at newlyweds.
References
- Sugano M, Koba K, Tsuji E. Health benefits of rice bran oil. Anticancer research. 1999;19(5A):3651-7. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
- Nicolosi RJ, Rogers EJ, Ausman LM, Orthoefer FT. Rice Bran Oil and Its Heath Benefits. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-NEW YORK-MARCEL DEKKER-. 1993 Sep 8:421. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
- Nagendra Prasad MN, Sanjay KR, Shravya Khatokar M, Vismaya MN, Nanjunda Swamy S. Health benefits of rice bran-a review. J Nutr Food Sci. 2011;1(3):1-7. [Cited 26 June 2019]. Available from:
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