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Bran

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture

   wheat bran
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   wheat bran

   Bran is the hard outer layer of cereal grains, and consists of combined
   aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole
   grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the
   production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, they
   lose a portion of their nutritional value. Bran is present in and may
   be milled from any cereal grain, including rice, wheat, maize, oats,
   and millet.

   Bran is particularly rich in dietary fibre, and contains significant
   quantitities of starch, protein, fat, vitamins, and dietary minerals.
   Oat bran, alone or as a part of oatmeal, has been shown to reduce the
   risk of coronary heart disease when part of an overall diet that is low
   in saturated fat and cholesterol, and the United States Food and Drug
   Administration now allows manufacturers to make specific health claims
   to that effect on food packaging . Wheat bran (miller's bran) is very
   effective in treating constipation.

   Bran is often used to enrich breads (notably muffins) and breakfast
   cereals, especially for the benefit of those wishing to increase their
   intake of dietary fibre. Bran may also be used for pickling, as in the
   tsukemono of Japan.

   Rice bran finds particularly many uses in Japan, where it is known as
   nuka (糠; ぬか). Besides using it for pickling, Japanese people also add
   it to the water when boiling bamboo shoots, and use it for dish
   washing. In Kitakyushu City, it is called Jinda and used for stewing
   fish, such as sardine.

   Rice bran is a by-product of the rice milling process, and it contains
   various antioxidants that impart beneficial effects on human health. It
   is well known that a major rice bran fraction contains 12%-13% oil and
   highly unsaponifiable components (4.3%). This fraction contains
   tocotrienol, gamma-oryzanol, and beta-sitosterol; all these
   constituents may contribute to the lowering of the plasma levels of the
   various parameters of the lipid profile. Rice bran also contains a high
   level of dietary fibers (beta-glucan, pectin, and gum). In addition, it
   also contains 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid), which
   may also be a component of the structure of non-lignified cell walls.

   The high oil content of bran makes it subject to rancidification, one
   of the reasons that is often separated from the grain before storage or
   further processing. The bran itself can be heat-treated to increase its
   longevity .

   Eating foods rich in bran became somewhat of a health craze in the late
   1970s and early 1980s, with massive promotion of bran cereals and
   granola. In the late 1980s, there was the " oat bran craze," with oat
   products in all shapes and sizes flooding the market (including potato
   chips with oat bran added), claiming to lower blood cholesterol and
   fight heart disease. This craze peaked in 1989 and was short-lived, as
   studies in the early 1990s showed that oat bran only modestly reduced
   cholesterol. However, in January 1997, the Food and Drug Administration
   decided (with some controversy) that food with a lot of oat bran or
   rolled oats can carry a label claiming it may reduce the risk of heart
   disease, when combined with a low-fat diet. As of 2005, this fact still
   appears on many oatmeal packages.

   Recently rice bran fraction derived from Driselase treatment prevents
   high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia . Driselase is a
   commercial plant cell wall-degrading enzyme mixture containing
   cellulase, xylanase, and laminarinase; however, it is esterase-free.

   Bran oil may be also extracted for use by itself for industrial
   purposes (such as in the paint industry ), or as a cooking oil, such as
   rice bran oil.

   Bran is widely used as a major component in pet foods for rabbits and
   guinea pigs.

   Bran is also known to absorb large amounts of water and expand, which
   has led some to claim that bran helps lead to satiety by filling up the
   stomach with added volume.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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