With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic making people aware about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and developing a strong immune system, experts have suggested that natural antioxidants, such as gamma oryzanol, helps in improving overall health.
Found in rice bran, gamma oryzanol is a natural anti-oxidant useful in controlling elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, supporting cardiovascular health along with controlling menopausal symptoms, said Dr Swapna Chaturvedi a senior dietician in the Department of Dietetics at AIIMS, New Delhi.
It is also known to boost metabolic rate and may help with weight loss, the doctor said.
Launched in India for the first time as vegetarian capsules, gamma oryzanol is very quickly gaining popularity as a super antioxidant.
Most research shows that natural antioxidants like gamma oryzanol decreases total cholesterol, bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and blood fats called triglycerides in people with high cholesterol.
Dr Praveen Chandra, Head of Department Interventional Cardiology at Medanta said gamma oryzanol has properties that lowers bad cholesterol and increases the concentration of good cholesterol.
“It also helps in preventing heart attack by preventing platelet aggregation, a system where platelets blood get stuck together and form clots that block arteries,” he said.
Dr A R Sharma, founder and chairman of Ricela group said that India’s highest exporter of refined rice bran oil has launched Gamma Oryzanol a natural antioxidant, widely used across the world for its multiple health benefits, as vegetarian capsules.
“Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has recognized gamma oryzanol as a nutraceutical and a natural antioxidant to reduce high blood cholesterol… it is gaining popularity in the country due to numerous reported benefits,” Dr Sharma said Vice-President of A P Organics Isha Vashisht said not only it helps in reducing high blood cholesterol, it is very effective for treating anxiety, managing sugar levels, helpful for patients of hypothyroidism and also plays an important role in preventing many lifestyle diseases.
—PTI

Press Trust of India