Dietary rice bran contains a number of bioactive phytochemicals such as tocotrienols/tocopherols, ferulic acid, tricin, beta-sitosterol, delta-oryzanol, and phytic acid. It has been shown previously to boost the immune system and is a major constituent of MGN-3 Biobran which has clear research studies on its immune benefits.
Now, a review article in Advances in Nutrition suggests taking rice bran supplements can prevent damage by free radicals and also block chronic inflammatory response. As if that wasn’t enough researchers then found it may also reduce the risk of breast cancer via apoptosis (programmed cell death normally missing in cancer cells), inhibition of cell proliferation and alteration of cancer cellular biochemistry.
A.J. Henderson of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. and colleagues reviewed previous studies and found the chemopreventive potential of rice bran phytochemicals can affect other cancers; for example, they can modulate gut microflora and regulate cancer-destroying enzymes; and both activate anti-cancer immune responses and influence the microenvironment to enhance the anti-cancer effect in colorectal cancer.
Obviously dietary rice bran is far cheaper than prescription drugs and easy to obtain. Other cancers that seem to be prevented in the research included lung and liver cancer.