Sunflower oil is complicated—depending on how it's processed and its fatty acid makeup, it can be exceedingly harmful and cause substantial metabolic dysfunction. Picture from Pexels
EVER come upon a sizeable sunflower field that was in full bloom? The scenery is always breathtaking. Consider an ocean of clean water that abruptly reflects the golden sun. It's quite the sight.
These sunflowers exemplify life's natural beauty. The healthy sunflower oil is extracted from the seeds of this gorgeous sunflower. Allow me to explain the historical significance of this versatile oil.
According to the International Sunflower Association, historical records suggest that some early South American tribes, most likely the Mayans, believed sunflowers to be a primary source of sustenance.
Because the Mayans revered the Sun as a holy deity, they thought the flower had therapeutic virtues. It should be noted that the flower earned its name from the fact that it always faces the Sun.
As a result, they revered this flower and used the oil for medicinal purposes. Cooking with sunflower oil has also become a community tradition in such areas.
It is worth noting that other South American civilisations, such as the Inca and Aztec, who were closely related to the Mayans, regarded sunflowers as sacred and widely used sunflower oil in their diet.
Sunflower oil has been utilised as a snake bite treatment due to its medicinal characteristics. Consider this: Snake bites were a common cause of mortality back then.
Many recipes for sunflower oil have been discovered in ancient books, and if sunflower oil was used in the therapy for something, you may grasp its significance.
Long before coconut oil, it was utilised for beauty purposes and as a hair conditioning agent. However, the use of sunflower oil for medical purposes was not limited to South America.
Sunflower leaves were used to treat a variety of diseases, including coughs, rheumatism, bronchitis, and even malaria, according to ancient documents discovered in Russia. Because of these features, it is the healthiest cooking oil known to man.
Despite not being a household necessity, sunflower oil is available alongside other cooking oils in most supermarkets. It is frequently promoted as a high-heat cooking choice with a neutral flavour.
It is also a popular frying oil in restaurants and an increasingly widespread ingredient in a variety of packaged foods (from chips to cereals to non-dairy ice cream).
But how nutritious is sunflower oil, and should you keep it in your pantry? It turns out that the answer is not as easy as yes or no. Sunflower oil is available in a variety of forms, each with its own fatty acid profile and level of refining and each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Here is all you need to know to make an educated decision.
Nutritional Information
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, one tablespoon of sunflower oil contains:
Fat: 78 grams
Sugar: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Protein: 0 grams
Calories: 120
Fibre: 0 grams
Sunflower oil is also a good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin K.
Potential benefits of sunflower oil
According to WebMD, sunflower oil provides a number of health advantages because it contains little saturated fat and a lot of polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids.
Omega-3s and omega-6s are examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs. When PUFAs are swapped for less-healthy fats, they help lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
Sunflower oil contains mono-unsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs. MUFAs may help to prevent heart disease. The MUFAs in olive oil contribute to the Mediterranean diet's health.
Sunflower oil is available in a few different varieties. It might be rich in linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, or it might be rich in oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid, or it might be somewhere in the middle.
Due to its higher stability for cooking, high oleic sunflower oil is more widely available.
Cardiovascular health
Mono-unsaturated fatty acids, such those in high oleic sunflower oil, are advantageous for heart health. One study found that MUFAs raised HDL, or "good" cholesterol. In addition, study participants exhibited decreased levels of inflammation.
The health claim that oils with at least 70% oleic acid may lessen coronary heart disease is backed by the Food and Drug Administration.
Linoleic acid
The other unsaturated fat in sunflower oil, linoleic acid, is equally good for your heart. Following a review of data, the American Heart Association found that linoleic acid reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease.
According to the Association, consumers should acquire 5-10% of their calories from linoleic acid. In a 2000-calorie diet, this equates to around 100 to 200 calories each day.
Nervous system health
Vitamin E can be found in abundance in sunflower oil. Numerous studies indicate that including a good amount of vitamin E in your diet may have many positive health effects.
It may prevent Alzheimer's disease from progressing faster, according to some studies. Nerve discomfort can be caused by a vitamin E deficiency. Vitamin E from food is more effective than vitamin E from supplements.
Potential risks of sunflower oil
Despite the fact that sunflower oil is good for you, you should try to limit how much you consume and how you use it. While sunflower oil is beneficial on its own, it is frequently a component of meals that have undergone extensive processing.
In addition, sunflower oil may pose the following health risks:
Excess weight gain
Every type of fat contains a lot of calories, even the healthy fatty acids in sunflower oil. Excessive fat consumption may contribute to obesity and the health hazards associated with it.
Losing weight may also be beneficial for those who are overweight but not obese. In these circumstances, it's important to keep an eye on your intake of fats, including sunflower oil.
Cancer
Cooking oil fumes are released by fats used in frying. These vapours contain hazardous aldehydes, which may raise one's risk of cancer. Although deep frying generates the most aldehydes, sunflower oil produces more aldehydes than other oils, regardless of cooking mode.
When cooking with sunflower oil, experts advocate utilising low-heat methods. Aldehydes have also been discovered in fried foods and the oil used after frying.
Although it has been demonstrated that high oleic sunflower oil releases harmful substances when heated to higher degrees over time, it is believed to have some positive effects on heart health.
Some kinds are also strong in omega-6, which may lead to inflammation in the human body when ingested in excess.
Sunflower oil is probably safe to use in low-heat applications. Avocado and olive oils, which are more stable when cooking, may also be good possibilities.
Furthermore, using a range of oils for diverse purposes may result in a healthier fat balance in your diet as a whole.
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