Rice Bran

[vincent]

Hello -

I have read about that company called Nutracea that have a patented technique to process the Bran of the rice at harvest time. They claim the rice bran has loads of anti-oxydants.

read the news:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061007/sfth003.html?.v=64

"Over 120 antioxidants and cofactors have been identified in rice bran so far. These include gamma oryzanol and its 20 components, the tocopherols and the tocotrienols, which exist in 10 different forms, polyphenols, 21 different phytosterols, carotenoids, phospholipids, polysaccharides, amino acids, B vitamins and enzymes like glutathione peroxidase and metal chelators,"

This sounds very good to me...I am keen to hear your opinion on this.

Thanks
Vincent

[cmcole]

About NutraCea
NutraCea is a world leader in production and utilization of stabilized rice bran. They hold many patents for stabilized rice bran production technology and proprietary neutraceutical formulas ranging from arthritis, chronic bowel conditions, and effective diabetes control to cardiovascular disease treatment protocols. NutraCea's proprietary technology enables the creation of food and nutrition products to be unlocked from rice bran, normally a waste by-product of standard rice processing. Committed to helping the underfed, they're heavily involved in providing product and technology for developing countries through NutraCea's RiceAde feeding program.


Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to the ability of the increased production capacity to result in an increase in product production in the amounts anticipated, the ability of the Company to obtain increased sales sufficient to utilize such increased production capacity, and other matters specified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are made based upon current expectations that are subject to risk and uncertainty. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's most recent periodic report.

I'm glad they are committed to helping the underfed, though.

I can't make any judgement call on this, but have used rice bran in baking, etc., since beginning LC.

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/ingredient.php?pid=329

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0860/is_n2_v52/ai_8540073


Rice bran may lower cholesterol - includes recipe - column


Better Nutrition (1989-90), Feb, 1990 by Frank Murray

Rice Bran May Lower Cholesterol
For years we have been hearing about the health benefits of wheat bran and oat bran, but now there is a new kid on the block: rice bran. The thin brown layer that is milled off in the processing of white rice, rice bran is just as effective as the other brans in fighting high cholesterol and providing high-grade fiber. In addition, rice bran can be tolerated by those who cannot digest gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, oats, barley and other grains and grasses. Brown rice, of course, has the bran intact.



http://www.californiariceoil.com/

http://www.riceland.com/coproducts/

http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_pro.html?id=c373e909e338a2e48f6a17245d8301 00

Rice Bran and Hypertension
by Jim Kling


PhotoDiscHypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for stroke, coronary heart disease, and renal vascular disease. A number of drugs on the market combat hypertension by inhibiting the antiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE activates peptides called angiotensins, and these in turn cause constriction of blood vessels and thus increase blood pressure. Although ACE inhibitors can be effective in lowering blood pressure, they can can also cause severe side effects. Researchers have recently expended much effort to find bioactive components in food that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They have found that fruits and vegetables are protective, possibly due to the presence of antioxidants that scavenge reactive oxygen species, which occur in many organs and may play a role in several cardiovascular disease pathways.
One potential source of antioxidants is rice bran, which is the outer layer containing the germ of the grain and is removed during milling and polishing. The bran is 12-13% oil and has high levels of dietary fibers (beta-glucan, pectin, and gum). It is removed because its oils can quickly become rancid and reduce rice's shelf life. However, the health benefits of its fiber and antioxidants have led to the inclusion of bran in a number of health food products.
Recently, researchers showed that black rice bran inhibited atherosclerotic plaque formation in rabbits. In the March 8 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers at Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan) and the National Research Institute of Brewing (Hiroshima, Japan) reported that rice bran extracts also reduce hypertension in rats (J. Agric. Food Chem. 2005, 54(5) 1914 - 1920 (http://pubs3.acs.org/acs/journals/doilookup?in_doi=10.1021/jf052561l)).


http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/1/64

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 81, No. 1, 64-68, January 2005
© 2005 American Society for Clinical Nutrition (http://www.ajcn.org/misc/terms.shtml)
ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION


Rice bran oil, not fiber, lowers cholesterol in humans1,2,3

Marlene M Most, Richard Tulley, Silvia Morales and Michael Lefevre

1 From the Division of Functional Foods Research, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Background: The cholesterol-lowering abilities of rice bran's fiber and oil apart from its fatty acid composition remain unclear.
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effects of defatted rice bran and rice bran oil in an average American diet on blood lipids in moderately hypercholesterolemic persons. Design: Study 1 used a parallel-arm design. Twenty-six healthy volunteers consumed a diet with 13–22 g dietary fiber/d for 3 wk, and then 13 of the volunteers were switched to a diet with defatted rice bran to double the fiber intake for 5 wk. Study 2 was a randomized, crossover, 10-wk feeding study performed in 14 volunteers who consumed a diet with rice bran oil (1/3 of the total dietary fat) substituted for an oil blend that had a fatty acid composition similar to that of the rice bran oil. Serum lipids and factor VII were measured in both studies.

[vincent]

Thanks very much for your feedbacks and references...!