Sunflowers, one of the few crops to originate in North America, produce seeds used as a nutritious snack, as an ingredient for salads or baked goods, and to produce a vegetable oil. Approximately 85 percent of the sunflower crops of North America grow in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, according to the Purdue University Department of Horticulture. Because sunflower seeds contain so many nutrients, their oil provides a healthy choice instead of vegetable oil.
From Seed to Oil
Sunflower seeds consist of a kernel nestled in a hard shell, or hull. Once harvested, the hulls must be removed from the kernels. Manufacturers then mechanically remove the oil using a special piece of equipment called a ghani. A ghani consists of a large mortar and pestle powered by a motor. The mortar and pestle grind the sunflower kernels to remove the oil, which collects at the bottom. This method helps to ensure the oil retains some of the nutrients from the seeds.
Sunflower Seed Nutrition
Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Sunflower seeds contain iron, the mineral necessary to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. They also have a significant amount of calcium, providing 33mg in a one ounce serving, according to the National Sunflower Association. Although not all these nutrients transfer to the oil, sunflower oil does contain vitamin E from the seeds.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E works as an antioxidant in the body, meaning it protects cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that react with oxygen. Vitamin E also supports the immune system. The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that adults receive 15mg of vitamin E per day, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. One ounce of raw sunflower seed kernels provides 11.34mg, or 76 percent of the daily recommended intake, according to the National Sunflower Association. Because the oil retains the vitamin E, sunflower oil provides more vitamin E than any type of vegetable oil.
Stability
There are several types of sunflower oil. Vegetable oils in general contain a combination of fatty acids, including palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid. The amounts of each type of fatty acid determine the stability of the oil. Sunflower oils that contain mid-level amounts of oleic acids are more stable than other types of vegetable oils. This gives sunflower oil the advantage of not requiring hydrogenation, a process in which hydrogen changes the unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fatty acids. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life but decreases the nutritional benefits.
Fat
Sunflower seeds contain 160 calories per ounce, and 129 of those calories are provided by fat. However, the majority of the total 14g of fat is healthful fat with only 2g saturated fat, or the bad type of fat that increases blood cholesterol. The remaining fat consists of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, which both help to lower cholesterol levels. Therefore sunflower oil remains lower in saturated fats than most vegetable oils, according to the Thomas Jefferson Agriculture Institute.
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