The Great Benefits Of Sunflower Oil, Know Them!
High oleic sunflower oil can have some benefits on our health. Although research is inconclusive, it appears that it could be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Sunflower oil is widely used in food and provides a large amount of essential fatty acids. Using it properly (if possible crude) sunflower oil has many benefits. However, these benefits depend fundamentally on the type and composition of nutrients.
What is sunflower oil for?
Sunflower oil is extracted from the seeds of this plant so famous for its large yellow flowers that “rotate” according to the direction of the sun.
If it is cold pressed and consumed raw, we can take advantage of its main nutrients, such as vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, essential for our body.
Keep in mind that if this ingredient is used to fry snacks , pastries and other foods, it does not offer us the same properties, since the high cooking temperature eliminates most of the nutrients. This is explained in research such as the one published in 2002 in the journal Food Chemistry . Among the benefits of crude sunflower oil that we can highlight are:
1. They are crucial for immune control and blood clotting
This is due to the amount of eicosanoids it has in its composition. These essential fatty acids are involved in the control of the immune system, cell development and blood clotting, as indicated by a study published in the journal Emergent Life Sciences Research in 2015.
2. It is good for the skin
The benefits of consuming this oil can also be seen on the skin. Thanks to its composition of linoleic acid, this oil helps to maintain the natural barrier of the skin. In addition, research on the subject has found that it may even have anti-inflammatory potential.
It also acts as an excellent moisturizer because it allows the dermis to retain moisture. This compound in turn promotes the formation of elastin and collagen that reduce the effects of the passage of time.
As if that were not enough, it seems that this linoleic acid in sunflower oil makes it effective also to protect the skin against bacteria and germs.
In fact, a Bangladeshi study of premature babies found that topical application of sunflower oil significantly reduced infant mortality caused by hospital-acquired infections, such as sepsis.
3. Sunflower Oil May Help Lower Cholesterol Levels
Sunflower oil contains a large amount of oleic acid. This, it seems, could have a role in lowering cholesterol levels.
Specifically, an investigation carried out on 15 healthy adults found that those who consumed a diet rich in high oleic sunflower oil for 10 weeks had significantly lower levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, compared to those who consumed a diet containing a similar amount of saturated fat.
4. Could have anti-inflammatory potential
The antioxidants and vitamins in sunflower oil make it have an anti-inflammatory potential. Although the research results are not conclusive, it does seem that they could have this effect.
Could be beneficial for cardiovascular health
Although the results are not conclusive, research on the matter suggests that a diet rich in high oleic sunflower oil produces an increase in good cholesterol levels.
This has led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a qualified health claim for high oleic sunflower oil and products with a similar fatty acid composition.
This allows high oleic sunflower oil to be labeled as a food that can help reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat.
Still, the evidence supporting the possible heart health benefits of sunflower oil is inconclusive. It seems that more research is needed on this. In any case, it seems that this product could have health benefits especially when consumed raw.
