MODIFIED RICE BRAN ARABINOXYLAN

I have been working with Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound (RBAC) for 15 years, using it as a treatment in clinical trials and working with people who either want to address a current health problem or, in the first place, maintain a healthy, well-functioning immune system. Over that time I have seen countless examples of how this polysaccharide exerts its impressive effects, mainly by enhancing immune function and/or reducing inflammation across many biomarkers – the former (improved immune function) being one of the main mechanisms for preventing chronic disease, and the latter (inflammation) being responsible for the onset of chronic disease. When I reflect on the amount of information published on the impressive effects of RBAC, including my own work, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in this ongoing journey of discovery. In truth, information about the effects of RBAC should be shared everywhere so that more people can benefit from it.

To that end, I believe Dr Pak and his colleagues have chosen a very worthy cause in writing and editing this book to summarise all the current information on RBAC found in the scientific literature. Unfortunately, a great deal of the beneficial information held in the worldwide database of peer-reviewed journal articles is not easily accessible to many people, even to those working outside the fields of nutrition and dietary supplements. I could tell you about many conferences at which I presented my research findings to healthcare professionals who, before hearing me, had no knowledge of the health benefits of polysaccharides in general and of RBAC in particular. I therefore congratulate the editorial team on producing a work that I hope will help raise awareness of the importance of RBAC and its impressive effects.

While the new and unusual events of the past two years (2020–2022) have had acute, persistent and harmful effects on billions of people, other problems, such as cancer, have not gone away. More people may now be aware of the importance of a healthy, well-functioning immune system, even if they do not know what a T cell is or what a cytokine does, which may also help bring this book to the fore with timely information. The editorial team has done a remarkable job of summarising how RBAC improves overall immune function, reduces inflammation and helps improve the quality of life of people living with cancer and other common diseases of our time. Moreover, this book provides a single source for all this valuable information, instead of asking someone to spend a great deal of time on PubMed or other search engines to find it all. This summary will be of interest to many people whose time and attention are limited in today's stressed and strained world. The book therefore holds great promise for educating those who understand the importance of an optimal immune system, or how to improve immune function, and why RBAC is a key asset in achieving it. For too long, the benefits of nutrition and dietary supplements have been either suppressed or relegated to a dark corner, missing the opportunity to help professionals and lay people alike. I believe the world should know how beneficial RBAC is for achieving and maintaining optimal health, and this book will help advance that mission.

John E. Lewis

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA