Rice bran oil lowers cholesterol in rats and holds promise to fight both infection and cancer in humans, a University of Rochester scientist said.
Lead researcher Mohammad Minhajuddin, reporting in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, said rats given a concentrated form of Vitamin E from rice bran oil saw their overall cholesterol drop 42 percent and so-called “bad” cholesterol drop 62 percent.
The rice bran extract — tocotrienol rich fraction — seems to have even greater antioxidant properties than other Vitamin E tocopherols and tocotrienols that have been studied widely, said the researcher.
Extrapolating human dosage from the rats in his study, Minhajuddin said the most effective dose of Vitamin E for a 154-pound person is 560 IU.
The typical daily dose for people who take the vitamin is 400 IU.