Anti-hypercholesterolemic and antioxidant properties of rice bran oil

In this study, researchers from Mahidol University in Thailand looked at whether rice bran oil can improve antioxidant activity for patients with hyperlipidemia. They published their findings in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

• Previous research has shown that rice bran oil can help lower lipids and oxidative stress, due to its monounsaturated fatty acid and gamma-oryzanol content. The team assessed the biological activity of the latter, especially on blood lipid, antioxidant and inflammatory markers.
• The team enrolled 59 participants — all of whom had hyperlipidemia during baseline — for the study. The participants were assigned into four groups, namely: RBO1 (treated with 4,000 parts per million gamma-oryzanol), RBO2 (8,000 ppm gamma-oryzanol), RBO3 (11,000 ppm gamma-oryzanol) and control (treated with soybean oil).
• Gamma oryzanol was incorporated into cooking oils (30 milliliters per serving) used to prepare three cooked meals per day for four weeks.
• Researchers took anthropometrical measurements and blood samples to determine body weight and body composition, and lipid parameters, antioxidant status and inflammatory markers. These were done before and after treatment.
• Participants who consumed rice bran oil exhibited significant reductions in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, with those in the RBO2 and RBO3 at 11.8 and 12.2 percent, respectively.
• The researchers also observed improved antioxidant levels for those treated with RBO, compared to the control group.

In sum, the consumption of rice bran oil can decrease LDL-C levels and increase antioxidant capacity in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Journal Reference:

Bumrungpert A, Chongsuwat R, Phosat C, Butacnum A. RICE BRAN OIL CONTAINING GAMMA-ORYZANOL IMPROVES LIPID PROFILES AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN HYPERLIPIDEMIC SUBJECTS: A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND CONTROLLED TRIAL. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 16 March 2019;25(3):353–358. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2018.0212