What are the health benefits of sunseed oil? sunseed oil may be a healthier option than palm oil.

Although it can be used in cooking and food processing, sunseed oil has no effect on increasing cholesterol levels.

As the name implies, sunseed oil is an oil produced from the extraction of sun flower seeds.

Benefits of Sunseed Oil

One of the most prominents contents in sunseed oil is linoleic acid or omega-6 which is a polyunsaturated fatty acid.

In addition, sunseed oil also contains oleic acid or omega-9 which is a monounsaturated fatty acid.

While both types of fat contained in sunseed oil are needed for our body, they react differently to heat during the cooking process and may have different effects on our health.

1. Lowers Cholesterol

While regular cooking oil or palm oil is advised to be avoided because it can raise cholesterol levels in the body, sunseed oil has the opposite effect.

Some research suggests that eating foods rich in monounsaturated weak oleic acid can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels in the body.

However, these benefits can only be obtained if sunseed oil is not heated at high temperatures.

So, if you want to use this oil for cooking, use it to sauté dishes over low heat.

Do not use sunseed oil for deep frying at high temperatures as it can remove the nutrients contains in the sunseed oil

2. Lowers Triglyceride

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. High triglyceride levels can trigger various diseases, such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack and even heart disease.

Sunseed oil is known to lower triglyceride levels in the body, especially when consumed to replace saturated fat sources, such as margarine and palm cooking oil.

Also Read: “Benefits of Grapeseed Oil“

3. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease

Thanks to its benefits in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, sunseed oil contributes to reducing the risk of heart disease.

This benefit comes from consuming sunflower seed oil with a higher content of oleic acid (omega-9), or at least 70% of the total fat content.

In the market, there are various types of sunflower seed oil. There are sunflower seed oils that contain mainly oleic acid or linoleic acid, while others contain equal amounts of both.

To get the full benefit for your heart health, choose sunflower seed oil with a higher oleic acid content.

4. Reduces the Risk of Alzheimer

Vitamin E is a type of vitamin that is needed to maintain normal nerve function. Some studies have shown that taking vitamin E can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes memory loss, reduced ability to think and speak, and behavioral changes.

Sunflower seeds and its oil are the best natural sources of vitamin E. In every 100 grams of sunflower seeds, there are 35 milligrams of vitamin E. With the same weight, sunflower seed oil can even contain 41 milligrams of vitamin E.

So, instead of taking supplements, you can use sunflower oil to meet your daily vitamin E requirement of 15-20 micrograms per day. This is because absorption of vitamins from food is more effective than supplements.

Also Read: “Benefits of Coconut Oil“

So there you have it! The benefits of sunseed oil in one go!

The sunseed oil is indeed a super type of oil, but you can’t get the benefit of it except if you choose the quality one.

But how do you know the quality sunseed oil to choose in the first place? Well, as in Indonesia, the cooking oils are advised to be certified by the SNI certification.

The SNI certification itself is a type of product certification that covers a lot if not every product that is sold and distributed in Indonesia, and cooking oil is no exception.

This certification regulates the quality and also the safety of products in Indonesia.

And for the standard itself, it is clearly stated in SNI 3741:2013 that regulates cooking oils!