As the demand for natural anti-oxidants grows in India during the pandemic, a new antioxidant Gamma Oryzanol is especially gaining popularity due to several health benefits associated with it, health experts said on Friday.

The antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

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Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when you’re exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.

According to experts, since the pandemic started, people are focusing more on eating healthy and increasing immunity and the demand for natural antioxidants have been increased.

Gamma Oryzanol, a mixture of antioxidant compounds in the bran’s oil fraction, is also scientifically proven to play a role in reducing sugar and blood cholesterol levels, among other health-promoting benefits.

“Gamma Oryzanol helps in preventing heart attack by preventing platelet aggregation, so maintaining healthy cholesterol levels during Covid times is important,” according to Praveen Chandra, Head of Department, Interventional Cardiology, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram.

Now, Ricela Group which is the world’s largest producer of refined rice bran oil, has brought Gamma Oryzanol to India in forms of capsules.

“Gamma Oryzanol is one-of-its-kind products in India. Presently, we are focusing on production and promotion of health-promoting value-added products from derivatives of rice through sustainable value creation,” said Dr A.R. Sharma, Founder and Chairman of Ricela group.

One capsule contains 150 mg of Gamma Oryzanol.

“It helps reduce high blood cholesterol and is effective for treating anxiety, managing sugar levels, helpful for patients of hypothyroidism and also plays an important role in preventing many lifestyle diseases,” said Dt. Isha Vashisht, Vice President, AP Organics Limited.

According to experts, people with obesity are more likely than normal-weight people to have other diseases that are independent risk factors for severe Covid-19, including heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes.

They are also prone to metabolic syndrome, in which blood sugar levels, fat levels, or both are unhealthy and blood pressure may be high.

“Very recently, a study confirmed that Gamma Oryzanol is a potential therapeutic adjuvant to avoid or attenuate the cytokine storm in Covid-19 patients,” said Neha Gupta, Infectious Diseases specialist, Medanta-The Medicity.

Cytokine storm is an umbrella term encompassing several disorders of immune dysregulation and multiorgan dysfunction that can lead to multiorgan failure if inadequately treated.