The Nutritional Value Of The Oil In Raw Black Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds grow in the center of sunflowers in clusters of 1,000 to 2,000 seeds. The seeds vary in appearance: black-and-white-striped seeds -- used for snacking -- are the most common kind; while black seeds are used for sunflower oil, which contains essential fatty acids and more vitamin E than any other vegetable oil.

Identification

Large black sunflower seeds have the greatest quantities of sunflower oil, approximately 40 to 50 percent oil by weight. The entire seed, including the head of the sunflower, is pressed to ensure the highest yield of oil. A byproduct of pressed sunflower seed is a high-protein seed cake or meal product, which is used as feed for livestock, according to the Sunflower Guide website.

Varieties

Sunflowers are made into three types of oil: NuSun, linoleic and high-oleic sunflower oil, according to the National Sunflower Association. NuSun contains less than 10 percent saturated fat and has 55 to 75 percent oleic acid, the highest content of any sunflower oil. Stable without partial hydrogenation, it is ideal for frying applications and enhances the taste of products. NuSun contains 15 to 35 percent linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Linoleic sunflower oil is the most common variety and contains 65 percent polyunsaturated fat, 11 percent saturated fat and 21 percent monounsaturated fat. Linoleic sunflower oil is used for cooking oil because of its neutral taste. High-oleic sunflower oil contains 80 percent or more oleic monounsaturated fatty acid and has many specialty applications such as in non-dairy creamers, crackers, dried fruit and baking.

Nutrition

Sunflower oil that is approximately 65 percent linoleic acid contains 120 calories per tbsp., with 100 percent of those calories from fat. Of the nearly 14 g of total fat representing 20 percent of a person's daily value -- or DV -- a little more than 1 g is saturated fat, almost 3 g are monounsaturated fat and 9 g are polyunsaturated fat. There is no cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber or protein in black sunflower oil, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture. Black sunflower seed oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids with 8,541 mg. The vitamin E content of sunflower oil is almost 6 mg, or 27 percent DV. According to the British Pharmacopoeia, black sunflower seeds contain 4 to 9 percent palmitic acid, 14 to 40 percent oleic acid, and 1 to 7 percent stearic acid. Sunflower oil also contains lecithin, tocopherols and carotenoids.

Omega-6 Fatty Acid

The most abundant dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid is the parent fatty acid of the omega-6 series, considered an essential fatty acid because it cannot be produced by the body. Omega-6 is an important structural component of cell membranes that influence flexibility, fluidity, permeability and ability to bind to enzymes. One tbsp. of sunflower oil contains almost 9 g of linoleic acid, according to Oregon State University. The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends an adequate intake level for linoleic acid in adults, aged 19 to 50, as 17 g daily for males and 12 g daily for females. Adults over 51 years of age require 14 g daily for males and 11 g daily for females.

Benefits

There may be a relationship between the intake of high oleic acid sunflower oil and the risk of coronary heart disease. The Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, conducted a study comparing diets of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat. Results indicated that LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were lower on the sunflower oil monounsaturated fatty acid diet with a significant increase in plasma phospholipid and neutral lipid oleic acid. Conclusions, published in the "Journal of American Dietary Association," suggested that foods rich in high-oleic-acid sunflower oil and margarine have favorable outcomes on blood lipids and are useful for the prevention of heart disease.