Health-conscious individuals interested in consuming a more balanced diet that includes fewer saturated fats may wonder about the potential benefits of including more sunflower oil in their daily menus. As an excellent source of healthy unsaturated fat, sunflower oil serves as a prime substitute for artery-clogging saturated fats, such as butter, but make sure you know the facts about the different types of sunflower oils, including oleic sunflower oil, so you can maximize the health benefits of including oils in your diet.
The Facts
Sunflower oil is a liquid extracted from sunflower seeds. It is commonly used commercially for cooking and baking and often serves as an emollient in various cosmetic products. Richer in vitamin E than any other vegetable oil, sunflower oil also possesses a light taste and mild flavor that make it an ideal oil for home use in dressings, salads and stir-fry cooking. Although sunflower seed oil contains a small amount of saturated fat, most of the oil comes from healthy unsaturated fat in the form of both mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
Types
Oleic sunflower oil includes both high-oleic and mid-oleic forms of the oil. High-oleic-acid sunflower oil comes from sunflower seeds that primarily contain monounsaturated oils in the form of oleic acid; to qualify as high-oleic, sunflower oil must contain minimally 80 percent oleic acid, according to the National Sunflower Association. Mid-oleic sunflower oil derives 55 to 75 percent of its oil content from oleic acid. Linoleic sunflower oil comes from sunflower seeds that primarily contain polyunsaturated oils in the form of linoleic acid. In general, sunflowers grown in cold climates, such as Canada, produce seeds with higher levels of linoleic acid, while those grown in warmer climates, such as parts of the southern United States, produce seeds with higher levels of oleic acid.
Studies
A diet that contains high-oleic-acid sunflower oil may help lower your body's levels of low-density lipoprotein -- LDL or "bad" -- cholesterol, according to results from a small 10-week-long study led by Margaret Allman-Farinelli, PhD, associate professor of clinical nutrition and dietetics at the University of Sidney in Australia. Study results, published in the July 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetics Association," indicate that participants who consumed high-oleic acid sunflower oil experienced a decrease in blood levels of both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. These two lipids are fats that circulate in your blood and when present in your body in large amounts may indicate an increased risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease.
Considerations
When purchasing oleic sunflower oil, look for cold-pressed varieties -- which undergo less processing -- and always store the opened bottle in the refrigerator to prolong the shelf life. Oleic acid-rich sunflower oil can be expensive, so if you're interested in increasing your consumption of oleic sunflower oil without busting your budget, consider using it in combination with other less expensive, more readily available sources of unsaturated fat, such as fish, nuts, canola oil or olive oil. Always limit your total fat consumption to approximately 20 to 30 percent of your total caloric intake and try to derive the bulk of your dietary fats from healthy unsaturated fat sources, such as sunflower oil.
References
- "The Condensed Encyclopedia of Health Foods"; Dr. Michael Murray, et al.; 2006
- National Sunflower Association: Sunflower Oil Fatty Acid Profiles
- "Food and Nutrition Encyclopedia"; Audrey Ensminger; 1994
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; A Diet Rich in High-Oleic-Acid Sunflower Oil Favorably Alters Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Triglycerides...; Margaret A. Allman-Farinelli, PhD, et al.; July 2005
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dietary Fat Basics; February 2011
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