Stabilized rice bran is rich in micronutrients and antioxidants. It's a relatively new player in the field of nutraceuticals, which feature food that provide both health and possible medicinal benefits -- because stabilizing the rice bran to prolong shelf life without destroying the nutrients it contains is a tricky process. Stabilized rice bran is gaining attention, in part due to its high antioxidant content, says Betty Kamen, nutritionist and author of 24 nutrition books.
Antioxidants
Stabilized rice bran is rich in antioxidants including vitamin E, lycopene and lutein, as well as beta sitosteryl ferluate and gamma oryzanol, which is found only in rice bran, Kamen says. Antioxidants may have a role in preventing several diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals. These are toxic byproducts formed during cell metabolism. Foods are better sources of antioxidants than supplements because they have an unmatchable assortment of antioxidants, the Mayo Clinic says.
Diabetes
Stabilized rice bran may be useful in controlling your condition if you have diabetes, says A.A. Qureshi, lead author for a 2002 study published in "The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry." The rice bran can improve glycemic abnormalities, says H.H. Cheng, lead author for a study published in the 2010 journal, "Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism." It may work by decreasing blood lipid levels while increasing adiponectin concentrations, Cheng notes. Adiponectin is a hormone that your fat cells secrete. It regulates glucose and fat metabolism in your body and influences your body's response to insulin. Stabilized rice bran also may decrease the level of HbA1c, or glycated hemoglobin, in your blood, Chang says. Glycated hemoglobin is formed in your red blood cells when glucose, or blood sugar, attaches to hemoglobin.
Kamen notes stabilized rice bran is rich in polyphenols, including lipoic acid which may play a role at the cellular level in sugar metabolism. Other polyphenols in the bran include ferulic acid and alpha-lipoic acid.
Cholesterol
Stabilized rice bran has a cholesterol-lowering effect. The rice bran oil, not the fiber, is responsible for this effect, says Marlene M. Most, lead author for a study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." The rice bran lowers "bad" low-density-lipoprotein levels without causing a dip in "good" high-density lipoprotein levels, Most notes. The cholesterol-lowering effect likely is due to components present in the rice bran oil -- such as phytosterols and tocotrienols. Kamen says stabilized rice bran is rich in phytosterols including campesterol, stigmasterol, beta sitosterol and at least 11 others. Such trace nutrients are one reason that fresh vegetables are good for you, Kamen says.
References
- Betty Kamen: Introducing Stabilized Rice Bran
- PubMed: "The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry"; Effects of stabilized rice bran, its soluble and fiber fractions on blood glucose levels and serum lipid parameters in humans with diabetes mellitus Types I and II; A.A. Qureshi et al.; 2002
- "Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism"; Ameliorative effects of stabilized rice bran on type 2 diabetes patients; H.H. Cheng et al.; 2010
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Rice bran oil, not fiber, lowers cholesterol in humans; Marlene M. Most et al.; 2005
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