Rice bran oil is endowed with unique health benefits, in comparison with other edible oils available today. It is known to be the healthiest of all oils as it contains not just saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, but antioxidants and vitamins too. At 160° C of heating, it remains unaffected. It is a low fat cooking oil that contains gamma oryzanol and Vitamin E that lead to smooth and soft skin developing. It helps children in many ways, particularly if they have allergies and other health issues.

No matter how careful you are of the cooking medium you use, it ultimately does affect your health. They may have some health benefits, but these days it has been found that rice bran oil is the healthiest because it is made from rice husk which is loaded with health benefits. Said to be much better than other cooking mediums, rice bran oil has an abundance of Vitamin E complex, tocotrienols, tocopherols, gamma-oryzanol, phytosterols, squalene and polyphenols, which are very good for a growing child.

Benefits of Rice Bran Oil for Children

Here are the leading health benefits of rice bran oil for children:

It is replete with good fats

Cooking oils that are healthy for the whole family including your little children must contain an equal amount of saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Rice bran oil has an almost equal balance of polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) and monounsaturated fats (MUFA) in the ratio of 37%:45%. It also has an almost equal fatty acid composition and does not contain trans-fats.

It works well as a moisturizer

If your child has dry skin that’s itchy and irritating, rice bran oil can work wonders as a moisturizer. To use it as a moisturizer, take a bit of this oil and rub it on a part of your child’s skin. You can also add a few tablespoons of rice bran oil in his bath. Its antioxidant content makes it ideal to add silkiness to your child’s skin.

It’s light on the stomach

This balanced oil contains saturated, unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats. Food cooked in rice bran oil absorbs 20% less oil than other edible oils, leading to lesser calories being absorbed, food tastes lighter and overall children lead a healthy life. It is ideal for deep fried food and stir fried food because of its high smoking value as this prevents fatty acids being broken down at higher temperatures.

It’s an excellent cleanser

If your child smudges his clothes or body with inks or art supplies, you can easily wash it off after using rice bran oil. Combine this oil with coarse salt and use it all over his body as a scrub. Once you rub it into your child’s skin, let the oil soak in his skin for about five minutes. After this, wash it off with soap and water and see all the colours completely gone.

It protects your child’s skin from pollution

If your child is often exposed to the harsh ill-effects of pollution and dust, using rice bran oil as a sunscreen will prevent his skin being damaged by overexposure to sunlight and harmful UV rays. This is because of rice bran oil contains oryzanol in good measure which takes away any sun tan and whitens and lightens the skin.

It is heart-friendly

Rice bran oil is known to be heart-friendly. Not only does it lower cholesterol levels in obese children with high cholesterol because it contains the precise amount of oryzanol which works as an antioxidant. It also lowers the absorption of cholesterol. Rice bran oil is the choice of the American Heart Association and The World Health Organization (WHO) as a good cooking oil that improves levels of serum cholesterol.

It is nutritious at a high temperature

The smoking point of this oil is 490° C or 254° C which makes it ideal for deep frying or stir frying food. This means that rice bran oil can be nutritious at high temperatures too. Food cooked in this oil at high temperatures absorbs less oil. Children can, therefore, eat a lot of food that’s either stir-fried or deep fried.

It is less oily

Being less viscous, rice bran oil does not stick to food. Since it absorbs less oil, it feels less oily while eating. Children can therefore eat as much as they want of food without feeling heavy on the chest or stomach or it affecting their health overall.

It builds immunity

It is rich in Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. Its imutagenic properties prevent people from cancer and boost immunity. Rice bran oil can be effective for kids who have a low immunity or have already been diagnosed with cancer.

Conclusion

Parents must take the good effects of rice bran oil into consideration when cooking for them.