I believe many friends who have insomnia problems will also be familiar with oryzanol. Compared to other prescription sleeping pills, oryzanol, as an over-the-counter drug, has a very good effect and efficiency in improving mild sleep disorders. Gamma oryzanol is a mixture of various plant sterols derived from rice bran oil, mainly composed of various structures of ferulic acid esters. Therefore, compared to other sedative sleeping drugs, gamma oryzanol is indeed relatively safer and does not form a dependent "sleep aid" drug.
As a nutrient derived from daily food ingredients, oryzanol has multiple important effects on improving insomnia. Although these effects are not as significant as those of some targeted treatment drugs, oryzanol is also a safe nutritional drug for auxiliary improvement of related problems.
1. Improve the blood lipid profile.
Gamma oryzanol is a mixture of plant sterols that are not saponifiable and have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol. Therefore, after entering the human body, gamma oryzanol can inhibit the absorption of intestinal cholesterol. Therefore, gamma oryzanol has a certain effect on improving and regulating blood lipids.
Research has also found that the mechanism of oryzanol regulating blood lipids is not only to reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestine but also to inhibit HMG-CoA reductase activity and reduce liver cholesterol synthesis. This effect is similar to the mechanism of action of statins, although the inhibitory effect of oryzanol is much weaker than that of statins. In addition, oryzanol can also prevent the formation of small-molecule cholesterol "micelles".
Through these effects, oryzanol has a certain auxiliary effect in regulating and improving hyperlipidemia, as well as in improving total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In a small clinical study involving 40 women aged 38 to 62, clinical validation using oryzanol for 4 to 8 weeks showed a certain degree of decrease in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in participants. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol) also increased.
2. Protect vascular health and delay atherosclerosis.
The protective effect of oryzanol on vascular health is also an important aspect worth mentioning.
Many friends may say that oryzanol can regulate the blood lipid profile, and of course it can protect the cardiovascular system and prevent atherosclerosis. In fact, the protective effect of oryzanol on blood vessels is not limited to regulating blood lipids. Glutamine itself has a strong antioxidant effect. This antioxidant effect also plays an important role in protecting the health of blood vessels. The cholesterol in our blood does not directly cause atherosclerosis, which is the main culprit. It is the oxidized component of the lipid deposited under the intima of the vascular wall. Glutamine's antioxidant effect can reduce lipid peroxidation. Thus, it can protect the health of blood vessels and delay atherosclerosis.
In an animal experiment, rice bran extract (containing oryzanol) reduced the cholesterol of mice and prevented the progression of atherosclerotic plaque in mice prone to atherosclerosis on a high-fat diet. In another clinical study, subjects with hyperlipidemia received oral administration of oryzanol for 12 weeks. The results showed that after 8 weeks of administration, oryzanol significantly reduced the level of lipid peroxidation in the serum, but this effect persisted for 2 weeks after discontinuation of administration.
In addition, oryzanol also has certain anti-inflammatory effects, which can help reduce the body's chronic inflammatory response and have auxiliary effects on blood sugar regulation. These effects also strengthen the vascular protective effect of oryzanol.
3. Improving menopausal symptoms in women
The improvement effect of oryzanol on insomnia mainly comes from two aspects: one is its effect on antihistamine receptors, and the other is its nutritional and regulatory effect on the nervous system. After many female friends enter the menopause, due to changes in hormone levels in the body, the autonomic nervous system is disturbed, which is prone to hot flashes, abnormal skin sensations, night sweats, and numbness of hands and feet. Discomfort symptoms such as tingling are more likely to occur, as are emotional issues such as anxiety and depression. The role of oryzanol in regulating and improving menopausal symptoms in women cannot be ignored.
