Recently we’ve been taking a look at some of the cooking oils available in supermarkets and health food stores. Some of these oils have been pretty well known. However, rice bran oil is one which is relatively new to me, and I actually had an extremely difficult time finding sound information about it.
What is rice bran oil?
Well, it is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of the rice. It has a very mild and clean flavour, making it suitable for a range of different dishes. It is notable for its high smoke point of 250°C, and also for its zero trans fat content. In terms of the touted health benefits, it is a source of the antioxidant vitamin E, and contains the plant sterol oryzanol, which is thought to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
What about the fat content of rice bran oil?
It contains roughly:
- 47% monounsaturated fatty acids
- 33% polyunsaturated fatty acids
- 20% saturated fatty acids
If we take an even closer look at this oil, we find that it has very little omega-3 fatty acids (unlike canola oil), and is reasonably high in omega-6 fatty acids. Why does this matter? Well, olive oil is also low in omega-3s, however it is much higher in monounsaturated fats than rice bran oil – a source of monounsaturated fat should be our first choice, where possible.
That said however, if you do occasionally deep-fry foods, rice bran oil is perhaps one of the best options. The high smoking point means that it can withstand hot cooking temperatures, without degrading as quickly as some other oils on the market.
Would I recommend it’s use?
Well, that depends on what I’m using it for! Olive oil is the superior oil in my opinion, in addition to what I’ve said above, it also has a lower saturated fat content than rice bran oil.
Also, generally speaking our diets are already reasonably high in polyunsaturated fat, while some of these fats are essential to the body, too much is not healthy, and therefore it may be wise to reduce the consumption of any oil, which is higher in polyunsaturated fats (i.e. rice bran oil).
Unfortunately, once again, the answer is not black or white – but it’s somewhere muddled in the middle, and open to personal interpretation.
What are your thoughts? Do you use rice bran oil?
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Did you know that rice oil has more antioxidants and vitamin E than olive oil. Plus, rice oil has gamma-oryzanol which is a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin E which is not found in any other oil.
Griffin – many thanks for your comment. Yes I’m aware that it’s a source of antioxidants, I’ve also read that rice bran oil reduces LDL cholesterol without reducing beneficial HDL – it is thought that oryzanol is the key element here.
Here are two interesting studies on the subject:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/6/1510
http://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/4/549
Do you use rice bran oil yourself?
Rice Bran Oil is a suburb cooking, salad and baking oil. There is a lot of info on the internet on the health benefits. I just like using it to cook at high temperatures. I have been using rice oil for 3 years now and my cholesterol is now lower.
Hi CD – thanks for your feedback. Great to hear that your cholesterol is now lower. Have you made many other changes to your diet apart from Rice Bran Oil?
Hi Melanie, yes the other change I made was I increased my excercise. I am careful about what I eat however, I eat meat, cheese etc-I follow the Fat Flush plan which is like Atkins and I can keep my weight in check.
Hi CD,
Increasing your exercise levels is definitely a beneficial step – well done on that!
I assume the Fat Flush plan is the one in three defined parts, designed to detoxify the body and kick start the metabolism. My concern with this plan would be the very low calorie intake which is recommended, and the possibility that it gives way to yo-yo dieting.
Anyway, that’s just my sixpence!!
I live by the Fat Flush diet. It’s easy and I have been able to keep my weith down for years. I am on the maintenence part so I get pleny of food.
Saturated fat is good for you. What the vegetable oil industry tells you is a load of bs.
I have been using Rice Bran for a while now. My ffather has been too and along with other dieting, his cholesterol has dropped significantly.
Too much of ANYTHING is not healthy. Saturated fats have their place, but you only need a small amount. As for poly-unsaturated; 33% of all fat consumption should be poly-unsaturated. Here are common/high sources:
Food sources of polyunsaturated fat
[19]
Food source (100g) Polyunsaturated fat (g)
Walnuts 47
Sunflower Seeds 33
Sesame Seeds 26
Unsalted Peanuts 16
Peanut Butter 14.2
Olive Oil 11
Seaweed 11
Sardines 5
Soybeans 5
Tuna 3
Wild Salmon 2.5
Whole Grain Wheat 0.8
I don’t see those in many diets. Rice Bran oil has three and a half times the poly unsaturated fat of olive oil.
OIL TYPE
SMOKE POINT
MONO-UNSATURATED FAT
POLY-UNSATURATED FAT
SATURATED FAT
Rice Bran Oil
490º
47%
33%
20%
Olive
360º
77%
9%
14%
Rice Bran oil may be higher in saturated fat, but it is not dangerously higher. Saturated fat can easily be cut out of your diet by avoiding things like butter, and buying lean meats and chicken breast. Especially considering that only a small amount of cooking oil is actually needed for most healthy meals.
The main hype about the health benefits of Rice Bran oil comes from the fact that it has 48 times the quantity of natural antioxidants than olive oil. Of three main types, olive oil only has one, where as rice bran has all.
Combining this with the fact that it has a nicely balanced fat quantity, it is a good choice ASSUMING that the rest of your diet is nicely balanced as well.
Both types have their benefits, and neither seem harmful in small quantities. Wouldn’t a reasonable person decide that BOTH should be used in their diet? Mix it up a little. Use one 3 nights a week and the other 3 nights. Have dinner on a Sunday without using any oil.
That’s just my 99cents
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I actually use Rice Bran oil regularly in my cooking now, too. This is my oil of choice to cook with, whereas I use Olive Oil in salad dressings.
I’d be careful with the rice bran oil! If you notice there are no cold-pressed rice bran oils out there that I know of. Which means that they are heat extracted or chemical extracted. Both of which are very bad for our bodies. They try to cover this up by saying it is cold-filtered which means absolutely nothing other than that it may of been heated at one time. Also I have not seen any rice bran oil sold in glass. It is always in plastic for some reason. Oil and plastic do not mix. If you look deeper there are some who have come to the conclusion that rice bran oil is actually a waste product of the rice by-product production.
Hi James, Thanks for your thoughts. I think you make some very good points. I found this article on it since your comment, and I think it sums up some of the issues mentioned: http://foodwatch.com.au/383-product-review-rice-bran-oil.html What oil do you use for cooking? I have recently been using coconut oil, although I find the slight flavor unsuitable for some dishes.
I am using rice bran oil, but can’t figure out a daily normal amount to consume in tablespoons or teaspoons. I am 5″7″ and weigh 200#.
Normally I put it on salads or cooked veggies.
Thank you
John
Hi John,
It is recommended NOT to eat rice bran oil. It is not a cold-pressed whole food oil and most likely chemically extracted.
Please only eat coconut oil and olive oil. They are the healthiest of all the oils. Here is a site you can get coconut oil at.
http://www.nujima.com
Best Regards,
james
Thanks for that James.
Hi John,
I wouldn’t say there is a daily recommendation, but a serving size is 1 teaspoon of any oil. This is, however, optional. It’s best if you can use different cooking methods each day, for example grilling one day, stir-frying the next, etc. For salads I would recommend cold pressed olive oil, and if you are adding the oil at the end of cooking your vegetables, olive oil would be a great choice for that, too (but not for cooking with).