The bran is the outer layer that surrounds cereal grain seeds such as wheat, rice and [[oats]. It helps protect the developing endosperm in the seed and it helps uptake water for seed germination. The bran layer of the seed is removed In processed white rice and white flour to make a uniform product. In commercial whole wheat flour, bran is added back into processed white flour. The bran content of commercial whole wheat flour (10%) is less than that from flour made directly from wheat grains (17%). The bran is composed of carbohydrates, but in the form known as insoluble fiber and is an important component of a healthy diet. http://www.factsonfiber.com/soluble_insoluble_fiber.html http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4494 http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/13016/does-sifting-whole-wheat-flour-produce-equivalent-high-extraction-flour-wheat-germ

Below you will find more information on bran from oats, wheat and rice, particularly regarding studies related to their health benefits in diets. The benefits of a high bran or high fiber diet is well known to many, and some of the details regarding the use of bran are discussed. You will find further resources on bran in the Google links and sections that contain news and blogs. If you have questions, please ask in the space above and to the right.

Rice Bran - Oil from rice bran has been touted as a remedy for many different health problems, such as high cholesterol. Because it is high in the components that make up the antioxidant vitamin E, it has been promoted for its benefits for fighting cancer. A number of compounds, grouped together under the name of gamma oryzanol, help lower cholesterol by competitive inhibition of its synthesis and absorption. in tissue. http://www.pbrc.edu/Division_of_education/pdf/PNS_Ricebran.pdf The oil is also being used as a base for making biodiesel. http://www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/newsletters/issue7/rice_bran.shtml

Oat Bran - For people whose blood cholesterol levels are abnormally high, dietary intake of oat bran can significantly decrease its levels. http://library.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/nutrition/lect1/4_6a.html Beta glucans, a water soluble fiber from oat bran are thought to function in causing this decrease and helping to regulate gastrointestinal function. http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron212/Readings/Oat_wheat_history.htm

Wheat Bran - Studies indicate that dietary intake helps decrease the incidence of colorectal cancer, presumably through the presence of antioxidants called orthophenolics, or lignans. The higher the level of lignans in the bran, the more the effect on tumor reduction.http://www.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CA8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.grains.ksu.edu%2FDesktopModules%2FViewDocument.aspx%3FDocumentID%3D3327&ei=E6nVS_rpLIGa8ATMorjODw&usg=AFQjCNHIj_Z2un8G4Uv_gW8YQt6vxzZTdw&sig2=qHJqWdeT2HZLaKmuiUBtVA

Bran can be an important source of insoluble fiber in the diet. Wheat bran has a sweet taste and, besides having 99% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (RDA) of fiber, a cup of it has many nutrients: 9 grams of protein, 34% of the RDA for iron, and it is high in magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B6. Foods that are high in bran also have a low glycemic index and are recommended by different diet plans that are based on the glycemic index, such as Sugar Busters, The New Glucose Revolution Diet, and the South Beach Diet. The American Heat Association recommends a diet rich in both insoluble and soluble fiber for heart health. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4494 www.glycemicindex.com/

As mankind has progressed over the last 10,000 years, the type of foods he has been eating have become simpler and more processed. In this evolution, our diets have become less healthy. A change of diet that has more of the components of our early diets has been proven to be beneficial to our health by many studies. A sufficient intake of bran is one of those necessary components of health. Besides providing many nutrient benefits, bran helps prevent constipation and helps in control of weight by giving a sense of fullness. Bran intake from whole grains have been associated with lower systemic inflammation among women with type 2 diabetes and heart failure risks. Insoluble fiber intake has been also associated with alower incidence of diverticulitis and it may be associated with lower risks of colorectal cancer. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033 http://www.factsonfiber.com/why_fiber.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16443861 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18954578?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_PMC&linkpos=1&log$=citedinpmcarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19857053?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=2