Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

Weight loss, cholesterol and rice bran oil

February 28, 2012 on 8:25 am | In Aging and purpose, Aging well, Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Breast cancer, Diet and Aging, Food addiction, Fort Collins writer, Health Psychology, Heart disease, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Memory loss, Menopause, obesity research, Preventative behaviors | Comments Off

Dr. Oz discussed a new type of cooking oil yesterday, which I have been trying out for the past few months to help improve my cholesterol numbers and lose weight. And BTW, I love the taste!

I could only find Rice Bran Oil at Natural Grocer’s Health Food Store, but I have a feeling it will be turning up everywhere in the very near future!

Here are some nutritional facts about rice bran oil compared to other common cooking oils.

The Japanese have been using rice bran oil (the rice counterpart of wheat germ oil) forever, and it seems to help them with menopause symptoms as well as weight loss. It has been used to manage elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in Japan since the late 1980s.

Developed in Japan as a way to use the byproduct rice bran which had to be removed from their brown rice grain to produce polished white rice, the Japanese have studied gamma oryzanol, the chemical component of rice bran for decades, and used it clinically to preserve health.

There are many health claims about rice bran oil. Some say using it instead of other oils lowers cholesterol. Dr. Oz said that it helps you burn sugar more quickly in your blood stream, and Femestra is a menopause supplement that contains gamma oryzanol to help with hot flashes, mood swings, and irritability.

I say try it all out! It will certainly not hurt you, and it might really help.