Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

Sunflower Oil

Browsing
Food

Sunflower Oil: Health, Application and Effect

You probably know sunflower oil primarily as a cheap and versatile cooking oil. But what is it doing in cosmetics? And is it even healthy?

Sunflower oil is one of the most popular cooking oils worldwide. You can buy the oil obtained from the kernels of sunflowers in the virgin or refined variety.

Virgin sunflower oil is cold-pressed and is not processed further after pressing. It is light yellow and tastes nutty. Refined sunflower oil, on the other hand, is cleaned of coloring and bitter substances after it has been extracted. Because of this, it tastes more neutral and has a paler color. Sunflower oil is best preserved when it is cold-pressed and left untreated. You can find out exactly which ingredients are involved in the next section.

The ingredients of sunflower oil and their effects

Sunflower oil mainly consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The most important of these are the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid and the monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid. How much of these two fatty acids the sunflower oil contains depends on whether it is “normal” or “high oleic”, i.e. sunflower oil rich in oleic acid. The latter is made from a special variety of sunflowers, the seeds of which contain a particularly large amount of oleic acid.

Here is an overview of the most important ingredients:
Linoleic acid: Sunflower oil contains about 48 to 74 percent of this omega-6 fatty acid (high oleic: two to 17 percent). Linoleic acid is one of the essential fatty acids that our body cannot produce itself. Among other things, it needs them to produce other fatty acids and for healthy skin. However, you should not consume too much of this fatty acid, since omega-6 fatty acids inhibit the function of omega-3 fatty acids in the body. A good omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is between five to one and two to one, according to a 2008 study. Unfortunately, sunflower oil hardly contains any omega-3 fatty acids. You get these from rapeseed and linseed oil, walnuts and fatty sea fish.
Oleic acid: Sunflower oil contains between 14 and 39 percent of this monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid – with high oleic sunflower oil the proportion is logically higher: up to 92 percent can be achieved. According to a study, oleic acid reduces insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Another study concluded that oleic acid boosts the immune system and has anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Vitamin E: This is where sunflower oil can score: With around 40 to 70 milligrams per hundred grams, it contains significantly more vitamin E than, for example, rapeseed or olive oil. Vitamin E is one of the antioxidants that protect our cells from the harmful attacks of so-called free radicals. In addition, our body needs vitamin E for fat metabolism and healthy skin.

How to use sunflower oil in the kitchen

Depending on the variety, you can use sunflower oil in different ways in the kitchen:
You can use cold-pressed, virgin sunflower oil for dressings or dips that go well with the nutty taste. On the other hand, you should not heat it up – unless it is high oleic sunflower oil. This is very good for frying.
Refined sunflower oil can also be heated to high temperatures, although the frying properties of olive and rapeseed oil are better. Since refined sunflower oil tastes neutral, it goes well with most dishes. According to Stiftung Warentest, however, refined sunflower oils can contain unhealthy trans fats.

Away from the kitchen: This is how you can still use sunflower oil

Since sunflower oil contains a lot of linoleic acid and vitamin E, it has a positive effect on the skin. According to a study, for example, it helps with wound healing, has an antibacterial effect and helps the skin to regenerate.

Because of these beneficial properties, you can find sunflower oil in many skin care products – but you can also simply use virgin sunflower oil to rub into your skin. This saves you money and packaging and you know exactly which substances are getting on your skin. Sunflower oil can have similar positive effects on your hair if you use it as a hair treatment. Such an oil treatment also helps against a dry scalp.

Because of its mild taste, you can also use sunflower oil for oil pulling.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Frying Oil: The 6 Best Alternatives to Sunflower Oil

Frying oil must be heat-stable and should have a neutral taste – not only rapeseed and sunflower oil are suitable for this. We will show you suitable alternatives and also what you should definitely pay attention to when heating oil in a pan.

Frying Oil: Refined or Cold Pressed Oil?

Olive oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil – the selection of oils is large. The latter two oils are currently in short supply due to panic buying and shortages. However, various frying oils are suitable for frying.

But which oil is good as frying oil? We give you an overview of heat-stable vegetable oils with a high smoke point. The heat stability of vegetable oils mostly depends on how they were made:

Refined oils: For example rapeseed oil and sunflower oil, they are good for frying.
Cold-pressed and native oils: These oils generally have a lower smoke point and are only conditionally suitable as frying oil. At least “gentle steaming and frying is possible,” writes Stiftung Warentest on rapeseed oil. According to consumer advice centers, olive oil is also suitable at low temperatures. Details in the article “Heat olive oil”.

These refined vegetable oils are suitable as frying oil:

  • olive oil
  • rapeseed oil
  • sunflower oil
  • peanut oil
  • safflower oil
  • sesame oil
  • soybean oil

But be careful: Refined oils can withstand high temperatures, but they are problematic. So-called trans fatty acids are formed during refining, which could be associated with the promotion of arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, refined oils contain almost no valuable ingredients, according to Oko-Test. That’s why you should only use refined oils in moderation.

Frying Oil Alternative: High-oleic oils for frying in a pan

A healthier alternative to refined oils are so-called high-oleic oils. This is usually a mixture of sunflower, rapeseed, and safflower oil. The plants are cultivated in such a way that the oils have a particularly high oleic acid content and can therefore naturally withstand temperatures of up to 210 degrees Celsius.

They are still cold-pressed and do not need to be refined. This means that no harmful trans fatty acids are produced and all healthy ingredients are retained. You can find high-oleic oils in health food stores and well-stocked grocery stores, for example.

Caution: These oils are not suitable for frying

However, we advise against using some types of oil if you want to fry something:

  • Linseed oil,
  • walnut oil,
  • pumpkin seed oil,
  • palm fat (unsustainable),
  • Coconut fat (unsustainable).

In the case of oils and fats, this is mainly due to the high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. While these are healthy, they ensure that the oil has a low smoke point. These oils are therefore sensitive to heat and quickly form smoke. This is problematic because the valuable unsaturated fatty acids are destroyed in smoking cooking oils and harmful substances are formed. They can possibly promote the development of cancer cells. These substances include, for example, benzene and formaldehyde. You can read more about this topic here: Cooking oils and their smoke point.

Which frying oil is really sustainable?

From our point of view, rapeseed, safflower and sunflower oil are particularly recommended as frying oils. You can easily get these from German cultivation. Coconut, peanut, sesame or soybean oil, on the other hand, are often imported from distant countries and therefore have a poorer CO2 balance.

When buying, also look for organic frying oil if possible. In this way you support ecological agriculture that works without chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Conclusion: You should keep this in mind when frying

To avoid potentially harmful substances from frying, you should observe the following tips:

  • Use high-oleic oils or refined oils with organic plants from German cultivation.
  • Refined oils should only be used in moderation.
  • Cold-pressed olive and rapeseed oil are also suitable for gentle frying at low temperatures.
  • If you want to prepare dressings or dips for which you do not heat the oil, it is best to use high-quality cold-pressed vegetable oils (such as flaxseed, walnut, hemp, or canola oil). These not only ensure a delicious taste but also provide valuable nutrients and healthy fatty acids.
Keep Reading
By