Rice bran oil

QUESTION:

Is Rice Bran Oil bad for you and why?

ANSWER:

I view Rice bran oil like many other industrial vegetable oils. Usually rice bran oil is created through extraction of rice bran. Rice bran is a by product of rice milling industries. There are many ways that the oil can be extracted. Similar to most industrial oils the most popular method for commercial extraction uses hexane.

A research article in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology ISSN: 2641-7668 states:

“Hexane is one of the most commonly used solvents in the edible oil industry. Long or acute exposure to hexane might cause several human health implications such as polyneuropathy, muscular weakness, headache, dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea. It has been reported by O’Quinn et al. (1997) that hexane may cause some degeneration of the digestive system of animals. Hexane residue has been found toxic to humans and animals at relatively low concentrations as mentioned by Sparks et al (2006). Since refining, bleaching and deodorisation are carried out as complimentary processes before using oil as a food product, it is likely that solvent residues are mostly eliminated. However, a trace amount of hexane may be found in the final product.”

I prefer to opt for cold pressed oils.