Rice Bran Oil
Food · Fat & Oil · Food, Typed Supps
The highest vitamin E of the plain oils, and more saturated fat than most people expect.
Stage by stage
- Neutral, stable (The pan): Smoke point near 230 °C — among the highest of any common oil.
- Saturated fat (Liver): 22.94 g per 100 g, three times canola — not the low-saturated option.
- Vitamin E (Cell membranes): 32.3 mg per 100 g, the highest of the unfortified oils here.
- Balanced split (Circulation): 39.67 g mono, 32.79 g poly, 22.94 g saturated — unusually even.
Timing
High-heat cooking specifically. For dressings and everyday sautéing, a lower-saturated oil is the better default.
Time to effect
- 3–4 weeks: LDL response to a change in fat quality.
- ~230 °C: Smoke point — the reason to reach for it.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Keto.
Environmental footprint
4.5 kg CO2e and 2248 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Rice" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £3 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 884
- Fat: 100g
- of which saturated: 22.9g
Food vs. supplement
Choosing an oil for frying is a different question from choosing one for everyday cooking. Smoke point governs the first and saturated fat the second, and rice bran oil wins one and loses the other.
Kitchen tip
Keep it for high heat and use canola for everything else. Smoke point is what this oil is genuinely good at.
Common myth
“Rice bran oil is the healthy premium oil.” In reality: It has the highest vitamin E of the plain oils at 32.3 mg per 100 g, which is real. It also has 22.94 g of saturated fat per 100 g — three times canola’s 7.3. Its genuine strength is a smoke point near 230 °C, which makes it the right oil for deep-frying and the wrong one as a default for everything.
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