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Rice bran significantly lowers blood pressure 3 March 2006 by Richard Conan-Davies Rice bran significantly lowers blood pressure in rats whose hypertension resembles that of humans according to scientists in Japan. Rice bran comes from the outer layer of long-grain rice. Researchers at Tohoku University and Japan’s National Research Institute of Brewing showed that adding rice bran to the diets of hypertensive, stroke-prone rats lowered the animals’ systolic blood pressure by about 20 percent and, via the same mechanism, inhibited angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE). ACE is a class of prescribed drug that dilates the arteries of hypertensive patients and thus decreases their risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. The researchers are not sure if just eating more brown rice, which retains some of its bran, would reduce the risk of heart disease. Previous research suggest certain fractions of rice bran can lower levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol in humans, as well as animals with high cholesterol. The team reports their findings in the March 8 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published by the American Chemical Society.   a sample of rice grains image: www.agric.nsw.gov.au

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