Rice Bran Oil - “The Age Old Health Oil”

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Rice bran oil is a unique cooking oil and has been in existence since quite some time now. According to nutritionists, it ranks as one of the best cooking oils for heart health.

Rice bran oil suddenly seems to have been rediscovered by various food companies. Food manufacturers have bombarded the market with the oil talking loudly and confidently about its benefits as a heart-health promoter. Currently, there is a great deal of curiosity about the oil’s benefits over other oils.

Rice bran oil has been in existence since long ago. But due to our media-driven tendencies, we never really noticed it lying on the supermarket shelves. For most of us, it seems to be newly discovered health oil much like olive oil on which we hold blind faith and use it doubtlessly despite the high price tag.

Rice bran oil is a unique cooking oil and has been in existence since quite some time now. According to nutritionists, it always ranked as one of the best cooking oils till popular food brands recently launched the same. Rice bran oil is extracted from the brown layer of rice which is removed when white rice is produced.

Manufacturing process:

Common cooking oils-

• Butter fat (Desi Ghee), Hydrogenated fat (Vanaspati Ghee) and Palm Oil contain high levels of unhealthy saturated fats. Hydrogenated Fats contain undesirable Trans-fatty acids
• Safflower Oil (Kardi Oil), Sunflower Oil, Soyabean Oil, Corn Oil and Cottonseed Oil contain very high levels of the Poly-unsaturated fats (PUFA).
• Mustard Oil no doubt has a near ideal fat composition but most of the varieties of Mustard Oil/Rapeseed Oil found in India have very high levels of undesirable erucic acid (35 – 40 percent). Therefore, it is not preferred as the sole cooking medium. The Indian Council of Medical Research recommends its use with some other oil so that the total intake of erucic acid is reduced.
• Canola Oil is a low erucic acid variety of mustard oil mainly found in Canada.
• Olive Oil is excellent and has a near ideal fat composition. But Olive Oil is also not suitable for high temperature cooking/ frying application due to a very low smoke point (180 degrees Celsius). It is highly expensive.

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• Groundnut Oil (Peanut Oil) also has a near ideal fat composition. But Groundnut Oil lacks in some vital antioxidants and nutraceuticals (Oryzanol & Tocotrienols) which are unique to Rice Bran Oil.
• Rice bran oil forms a good choice as a sole cooking medium as it is-
• High in MUFA (Monounsaturated Fatty acids)
• Moderate in PUFA
• Has a high smoking point (254 degrees Celsius) which prevent the oil from breaking down to form toxic substances.
• Contain oryzanol and tocotrienols, which are antioxidants and also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
• Is neutral and bland in taste.