With each passing year, we’re figuring ways to substitute our everyday food staples with new, healthier alternatives. Once, we relied solely on getting our milk, butter, cheese, and other dairy products from animals, making it a non-choice for vegans and folks with allergies. The same goes for gluten-based products. But, today, we have almond milk, cashew butter, creamed coconut, hemp cheese, chickpea pasta…the list goes on!
These alternatives open up the culinary world not only for those with dietary restrictions but also for anyone interested in exploring healthier, more sustainable diets that come from natural ingredients. But, if you’re not ready to jump into the funky but delightful work of nut cheese, a good starting point to changing up your foodie routine is to explore different types of oils.
So, let’s take a deep dive into one of the most flexible and benefit-packed oils out there: Rice bran oil.
What the Heck is Rice Bran Oil?
Before we get to the oil, let’s first talk about what rice bran is. Also known as chaff, “bran” is the outer covering or layer found on rice. Because bran is tough and difficult to eat, it was and is still disposed of as a waste product when cleaning and husking rice. However, what’s commonly known in East Asian countries but less known in Western cultures is the incredible benefits that rice bran holds for humans.
In countries such as Japan, rice bran is most commonly known for its miracle work on skin and hair. For several millennia, women of this and other Eastern cultures have been bathing in the cloudy, white water generated from washing rice (also known as rice water) to sustain deeply moisturized and naturally regenerating skin and strong, long hair. Even today, popular and best selling skincare brands, such as Tatcha, infuse their products with rice bran and rice bran oil.
Now, rice bran oil is…well, the oil extracted from rice bran! Known for its mild flavor and high burning point, this cooking oil is popularly used in Asian cuisines that involve stir- or deep-frying. As such, you’re likely to see a bottle of rice bran oil in most homes you’d visit in East Asia, including India, Nepal, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Its primary chemical makeup includes oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, α-linolenic acid, myristic acid, vitamin B, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and coenzyme Q10—all components known to have emollient, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. For reference, one tablespoon of rice bran oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat, of which zero is trans fat.
Four Reasons to Use Rice Bran Oil
While you don’t see everyone in the States wielding it in their home kitchens (yet!), rice bran oil is easy to use and rich in various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As such, its health perks are abundant and comprehensive.
Here are four reasons to incorporate this unique oil into your diet!
1. Nourishes Hair and Skin
As described before, rice bran is a sort of best-kept secret for healthy skin and hair. It contains high levels of vitamin B and E, not to mention a whole load of fatty acids. To understand how these components help, let’s take a closer look at just some of them and the benefits they’re widely known for:
- Vitamin B: Vitamin B allows the skin to retain its moisture and strengthens its barriers, thus making it an absolute essential for those suffering from eczema, rosacea, sunburn, or hyperpigmentation as well as anyone who wants their wounds healed quickly. It’s also known to maintain healthy hair texture, color, and strength.
- Vitamin E: This dynamic vitamin soothes, deep-cleanses, softens, rehydrates, and protects skin. Especially when paired with SPF products, it prevents sun-induced free radical damage such as wrinkles and fine lines. When it comes to hair, vitamin E stimulates blood flow to the scalp, meaning it moisturizes dry sections and is essential in controlling dandruff.
- Linoleic and oleic acids: These fatty acids not only strengthen the skin and preserve its firmness and elasticity but also has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce irritation and acne. They also assist in thickening and lengthening hair by improving circulation to hair follicles.
- Stearic acid: This acid has intense cleansing properties that helps both your skin and scalp purge dirt, sweat, and excess sebum. As such, it keeps skin clear and hair conditioned and protected without making it feel heavy or lusterless.
And that’s just a small portion of the goodness that’s packed into rice bran oil!
2. Promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol
The Japanese government actually recognizes rice bran oil as a health food because it is effective in lowering “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting the benefits of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
In fact, a 2016 study showed that, across 11 randomized and controlled trials, a total of 344 people taking rice bran oil lowered their “bad” cholesterol by an average of 6.91 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Just a 1 mg/dL decrease in LDL cholesterol is known to reduce the risk of heart disease risk by up to 2 percent.
3. Has anti-cancer effects
Rice bran oil contains tocotrienols, a group of antioxidants that is currently being investigated for their anti-cancer effects. More specifically, tocotrienols in rice bran oil have shown promise in suppressing the growth and promoting the eventual death of various cancer cells, including those in the breast, lung, ovary, liver, brain, and pancreas. And because rice bran oil is also an anti-inflammatory that enhances overall health, its dietary supplementation also helps enhance the beneficial effects of cancer therapies and eases the recovery process for cancer patients.
4. Is multi-use and versatile.
Unlike olive oil or canola oil, rice bran oil can be used for just about anything. It has a neutral and subtle taste that’s similar to peanut oil, so you can use it, hot or cold, in dressings and on top of soups. It can even be mixed safely with other oils for a nice blended flavor.
But, because it won’t burn and its beneficial compounds won’t be destroyed even at relatively high temperatures, this oil is especially ideal for dishes that require frying and baking.
The Benefits of Rice Bran Oil in Delicious Baked Goods: What’s Not to Love?
The possibilities when cooking with rice bran oil are endless, good for you, and worth exploring. But if you’re feeling a bit lazy (we’ve all been there) or you just want to jump into a pile of warm, delicious sweet breads that have got a healthy dose of this great oil, Outrageous Baking is here for you.
Since 2006, our bakery has been committed to serving up gluten-free, dairy-free, guilt-free treats that nourish the mind, body, and soul. We use natural, top-quality ingredients—like rice bran oil!—that make our bakes especially moist and chock-full of flavor. And, good news: We’re located in Boulder, Colorado, but we ship nationwide!
We use rice bran oil in our gluten-free breads, visit Outrageous Baking today!
