Gamma-Oryzanol

γ-Oryzanol · gamma oryzanol

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Dyslipidemia^{1, 2} Metabolic syndrome³ Mild depressive symptoms⁴ Skin hydration⁵	Pregnancy or nursing⁶ Shellfish allergy⁶ Known or suspected ulcer⁶

Gamma-oryzanol is a mixture of ferulic acid esters of plant sterols and triterpene alcohols concentrated in rice bran, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity⁷. Supplementation is used for lowering blood lipids, the effect most trials target¹, and for metabolic syndrome, depressive symptoms⁴, skin hydration, and resistance-training performance, where one trial found no effect. Typical users are adults with mild dyslipidemia or metabolic syndrome^{3, 8}.

Most human data come from rice bran, rice bran oil, or oryzanol-enriched products rather than the isolated compound. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found rice bran, especially rice bran oil, lowered triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol¹. A trial in hyperlipidemic subjects found oryzanol-containing rice bran oil lowered LDL cholesterol². In weight-trained men, a 1997 trial found no effect on strength or circulating hormones⁹. In cell-free and intestinal cell assays, a 2024 study found bran from red Thai rice cultivars inhibited carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, with no human data¹⁰. Products listing gamma-oryzanol come mainly as capsules and tablets, often in combinations; see Form comparison.

Two United States product labels advise against use in pregnancy or nursing⁶. One label directs users with a liver disorder or liver symptoms to stop and consult a healthcare practitioner⁶.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

38 sources, 30 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources