The health benefits of rice bran.

The health benefits of rice bran. Rice bran, the outer covering of the rice grain, has high nutritional value and is a rich source of proteins, fats, minerals and micronutrients such as B vitamins, according to a study. Researchers suggest that rice bran, which is removed from whole grain rice during processing and used as animal feed, could have benefits for human health and nutrition. According to USDA a single serving of rice bran is 28 grams and delivers more than half of a person's daily requirements of important vitamins such as thiamine, niacin and vitamin B6. Rice bran as a food ingredient could deliver more than 400 individual compounds when consumed. Traditionally, rice bran is thought to be a cheap fiber source and only considered useful as a source of lipids, for example as cooking oil. It has not been used much in human health and nutrition because it is considered an animal feed but its high nutritional value warrants greater public health attention. A literature search conducted by the authors showed that some of the compounds they identified in rice bran had been shown in previous studies to have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-hypertensive properties, among others. Rice bran also has a protein content of 12-15% that deserves attention as it could help tackle nutrition shortages that are a major global health concern. source