rice bran and Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level

Research synthesisLow evidenceMixed effect size3 studies · 2 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects (one small, one large) on LDL reduction, while a meta-analysis found no significant effect. Effects were observed at a median study duration of 42 days (6 weeks). The most-studied populations were healthy adults with low dietary fiber intake and men with coronary artery disease.

Studied populations: healthy adults with low dietary fiber intake; men with coronary artery disease

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. One beneficial study used rice bran oil, the other used defatted rice bran fortified bread; the neutral meta-analysis included various rice bran forms, which may contribute to inconsistent findings. The large beneficial effect was observed in men with coronary artery disease, a clinical population that may not generalize to healthy adults. The meta-analysis of 8 RCTs showed no significant overall effect on LDL levels.

Generated Jul 12, 2026

Doses used in studies

g/day: 30 (median 30, IQR 30–30) — 1 study
slices/day: 3–4 (median 3.5, IQR 3–4) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 6 weeks · IQR 5 weeks–7 weeks · Range 4 weeks–8 weeks — Reported in 2 of 3 studies

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
No significant differences were observed in the primary outcome, microbial taxa composite within and between groups (False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction, p > 0.10). ... for most of the other outcomes between groups (p > 0.05).
from: Effects of defatted rice bran-fortified bread on gut microbiome, cardiovascular risk, gut

3 of 3 papersPopulation:

Effects of defatted rice bran-fortified bread on gut microbiome, cardiovascular risk, gut discomfort, wellbeing and gut physiology in healthy adults with low dietary fibre intake.
- 2025-06
- RCT · n = 15
- Clinical nutrition ESPEN 67
- - Hwei Min Ng
  - Jasjot Maggo
  - Catherine L Wall
  - Simone B Bayer
  - Jane A Mullaney
  - Diana Cabrera
  - Karl Fraser
  - Janine M Cooney
  - Catrin S Günther
  - Warren C McNabb
  - Meika Foster
  - Chris Frampton
  - Richard B Gearry
  - Nicole C Roy
- PubMed: 40127766
- DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.03.045
15 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- High evidence
- Adults
mean total cholesterol (TC) to HDL concentration ratio significantly lowered (p = 0.02) in the DRB group compared to the control group.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
Three (females) or four (males) slices of DRB-fortified bread daily
The effects of rice bran oil on left ventricular systolic function, cardiometabolic risk factors and inflammatory mediators in men with coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial.
- 2021
- RCT · n = 40
- Food & function 12(10)
- - Marjan Mahdavi-Roshan
  - Arsalan Salari
  - Zeinab Ghorbani
  - Zahra Nikpey
  - Motahare Haghighatkhah
  - Aboozar Fakhr Mousavi
  - Mahboobeh Gholipour
  - Amir Pourfarzad
- PubMed: 33881115
- DOI: 10.1039/d1fo00094b
11 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
RBO significantly improved LVEF (51.34%) and reduced triglyceride (125.01 mg dl-1), blood sugar (110.4 mg dl-1), total cholesterol (123.01 mg dl-1) and low density lipoprotein (56.88 mg dl-1) levels compared to sunflower oil ((45.56%), (155.93 mg dl-1), (128.94 mg dl-1), (163.93 mg dl-1) and (83.79 mg dl-1), respectively) following a 8-week trial (P-values < 0.05).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
Dose
30 grams per day
The effects of rice bran supplementation for management of blood lipids: A GRADE-assessed systematic review, dose-response meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.
- 2023-04-12
- Meta-Analysis
- Systematic reviews 12(1)
- - Zahra Hariri
  - Fatemeh Afzalzade
  - Golbon Sohrab
  - Saeede Saadati
  - Zahra Yari
- PubMed: 37046340
- DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02228-y
4 Insights on
- Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level
- High evidence
Meta-analysis of eight RCTs (with 11 effect sizes) showed no significant effect of rice bran supplementation on serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: -1.68 mg/dl; 95% CI: -8.46, 5.09; P = 0.627)
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No

rice bran and Reduced Low-Density Lipoprotein Level

Effects of defatted rice bran-fortified bread on gut microbiome, cardiovascular risk, gut discomfort, wellbeing and gut physiology in healthy adults with low dietary fibre intake.

The effects of rice bran oil on left ventricular systolic function, cardiometabolic risk factors and inflammatory mediators in men with coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial.

The effects of rice bran supplementation for management of blood lipids: A GRADE-assessed systematic review, dose-response meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.