Rice Barn Oil - Part I

First of “Planting Healthy Oils” I want to share is “Rice Barn Oil”. There are many benefits from Rice Barn Oil, let’s come to read it with me.

Author: Virgo Publishing, LLC.

Not too long ago, using the words “healthy” and “fat” in the same breath just wasn’t done. But now, the word about good fats has spread. Health-conscious consumers are working to cut back on bad fats, and they’re relying on the food industry to provide tasty options that are low in saturated fats. In turn, food-product developers are relying on healthy oils to provide the functional properties of fat in their formulations. Rice bran oil is one such product; it’s versatile, free of trans fatty acids, and it has an added bonus: antioxidants.

Vitamin E, in the form of tocopherol and tocotrienol, naturally occurs in rice bran oil. Said to protect cells against free radicals, vitamin E may help prevent certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Further, rice bran oil contains oryzanol, a combination of sterols and ferulic acid that has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein, or so-called “bad” cholesterol.

Rice bran oil is similar to peanut oil in fatty-acid composition, and has a slightly higher saturation level than conventional soybean oil (approximate 2.5% of the total fatty acids higher). Oleic and linoleic fatty acids make up more than 80% of the fatty acids. Further, the low linolenic acid content of rice bran oil (1.1%) makes it more stable to oxidation than soybean oil (6.8%). Its appearance ranges from cloudy to clear, depending on the dewaxing processes applied.

Already widely used as a frying oil in Asia, rice bran oil can be used in place of vegetable oils in most applications. It has a subtle, nutlike flavor and good storage stability. It also has a good fry life, is resistant to smoking at high-frying temperatures and doesn’t require hydrogenation. This is largely due to the oil’s moderate level of saturated fatty acids, and partially due to its low linolenic-acid content.

Many Japanese restaurants in the United States use this oil for frying tempura and for stir-frying, as its delicate flavor does not overpower meat, seafood or vegetables. It can also be used in place of coconut oil for a popcorn oil with a lower saturated-fat content.

When processed to retain high levels of antioxidant tocopherols and tocotrienols, rice bran oil also can be used as a coating for crackers, nuts and other snacks to extend shelf life. Further, rice bran oil can be blended with less-stable oils to improve their stability in food systems. Because rice bran oil forms a stable ß’ crystal lattice and it has an intermediate palmitic acid content, it provides good plasticity, creaminess and spreading properties to margarine and shortening without hydrogenation.

Ref : http://www.surinbranoil.com