Benefits of Rice Bran
Rice bran is the product got after brown rice has been polished down to white rice. It is the main reason why health experts recommend the intake of brown rice instead of white rice. Rice bran is commonly used for making oil and it has lots of benefits. The following are key benefits of rice bran.
1. Protects the skin
Skin care using oil made from rice bran is becoming more popular nowadays. This particular oil acts like a sunscreen guarding the skin against harmful rays of the sun. The gamma-oryzanol content inhibits melanin pigmentation and this stops the transmission of sun rays at the surface of the skin. In fact, manufacturers of hair conditioners and sunscreen products are now including rice bran in their ingredients.
2. Antioxidant properties
Rice bran comprises of various antioxidants that are very important in preventing the damage of cells in the body by free radicals. Examples of antioxidants present in rice bran include gamma-oryzanol, tocotrienol and tocopherol. Furthermore, rice bran does not need hydrogenation so as to be stable and thus it has high fatty acid content.
3. Reduces cholesterol
Rice bran contains gamma-oryzanol, which is a potent antioxidant that is highly efficient in lowering cholesterol absorption and plasma cholesterol, reducing early atherosclerosis. It also stops platelet aggregation, which could possibly result in blood clots. Moreover, the tocotrienol content of rice bran has been discover to lower the effectiveness of various enzymes responsible for synthesizing cholesterol, a key aspect in heart complications.
4. Prevents cancer
The antioxidants in rice bran assist to prevent various kinds of cancer. They work through accumulating in the cancerous cells and then killing the tumors. The consumption of rice bran also slows down progress of cancer in people who already have cancer.
Because rice bran also contains high arsenic content, extra care should be observed during preparation and consumption.
