Ooi, Soo Liang, Pak, Sok Cheon, Micalos, Peter S et al. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021 · DOI
This review examines a supplement called RBAC, made from rice bran processed with shiitake mushroom enzyme, which may have immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects. The authors found evidence that RBAC might help with several conditions including cancer, HIV, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, liver disease, and possibly chronic fatigue syndrome and the common cold. The supplement appears safe at typical doses of 2-3 grams per day, but more research is needed to confirm its benefits.
This review identifies RBAC as a potentially relevant intervention for ME/CFS symptom management based on its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which align with hypothesized pathophysiological mechanisms in ME/CFS. It provides a safety summary (no known adverse effects at standard dosing) that may inform ME/CFS patients and researchers considering complementary approaches, though the evidence specifically for ME/CFS remains preliminary.
This narrative review does not prove that RBAC is effective for ME/CFS, as the authors explicitly state that further clinical research is required; mentions of ME/CFS are brief and not supported by controlled trial data. The review cannot establish causation or clinical efficacy for any condition—it synthesizes existing literature without meta-analysis or systematic assessment of study quality. This is a secondary review of primary literature rather than original research, so it cannot validate the strength of the underlying evidence base.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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