Sunflower oil: health benefits and harms

Contents

Types of sunflower oil
The history of the appearance of sunflower oil in nutrition
The composition and calorie content of sunflower oil
The Benefits of Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil damage
The use of sunflower oil in medicine
The use of sunflower oil in cooking
- Yoghurt salad dressing
- Flatbread Chvishtari
How to choose and store sunflower oil
Popular questions and answers

This product can be found in everyone’s kitchen. But do we know everything about its properties? How sunflower oil affects the human body, we understand together with a gastroenterologist

Sunflower oil is obtained from the seeds of sunflower oil varieties. In Our Country, of all vegetable oils, it is sunflower oil that has gained the greatest popularity. In terms of its production, our country occupies a leading position in the world. The product is in high demand in Our Country. Salads are seasoned with it, fried, stewed, baked with it.

Sunflower oil is also used in other areas. Added to skin care products, used in traditional medicine.

Types of sunflower oil

Sunflower oil happens refined и unrefined, depending on the level of purification. In the first case, the product goes through a series of procedures – hydration, deodorization, freezing, bleaching.

As a result, the oil is purified from harmful substances, free fatty acids, natural waxes. This oil is ideal for heat treatment.

Unrefined oil is processed minimally. It is filtered to remove heavy impurities, while retaining all the benefits of the product. Unrefined oil is usually consumed raw, for example, added to salads.

The history of the appearance of sunflower oil in nutrition

Sunflower oil began to be produced at the end of the 1829th century in England, but the product was not evaluated on British soil. Sunflower was brought to Our Country by Peter I. The idea to make oil from sunflower arose in 1833 from a serf peasant Dmitry Bokarev from the Voronezh province. He decided to apply the technology of oil production from flax and hemp seeds to sunflower seeds. The product was so widely recognized that already in XNUMX the first oil mill in Our Country was built. Sunflower oil began to be produced on an industrial scale and exported abroad.

The composition and calorie content of sunflower oil

“As for vitamins, most of them are present in sunflower oil, especially vitamins E (a natural antioxidant), A, D and F,” says gastroenterologist Vera Sukhova. – It contains omega-6 and 9 fatty acids, which help lower blood cholesterol levels. Sunflower oil prevents the development of atherosclerosis and subsequent thrombosis. The product is a source of linolenic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic and myristic fatty acids, as well as valuable phosphorus for the body.

Caloric value	899 kcal
Proteins	0 g
Fats	99,9 g
Carbohydrates	0 g

The Benefits of Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil has an immunomodulatory effect and protects the body from infections. It has many other beneficial properties: it normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine system, helps cleanse the liver and relieve inflammation (1), and is used to prevent rheumatism and arthritis.

The product strengthens the heart muscle and vascular walls, stimulates the work of nerve connections, resulting in improved brain activity. Moderate consumption of sunflower oil regulates blood cholesterol levels.

The benefits of sunflower oil for women

Due to the large amount of vitamin E and fatty acids, sunflower oil has a beneficial effect on the female body. It enhances blood circulation in the pelvis, which serves as an excellent prevention of diseases of “female” diseases. Another pleasant effect of the use of oil is the slowing down of the aging process. The skin remains elastic and smooth longer, the structure of nails and hair is strengthened.

The benefits of sunflower oil for men

Regular consumption of sunflower oil in food improves the reproductive function of men, is the prevention of prostatitis and inflammation of the genitourinary system.

The benefits of sunflower oil for children

According to gastroenterologist Vera Sukhova, sunflower oil has a beneficial effect on children’s skin, so it is included in creams and other care products. The specialist also notes that vitamin D contained in the product contributes to the fight against rickets in children. However, some babies may be allergic to sunflower oil. In this case, the doctor recommends replacing it with olive or flaxseed.

Sunflower oil damage

Gastroenterologist Vera Sukhova draws attention to the harmlessness of sunflower oil, if you do not overdo it with its dosage and do not take it on an empty stomach.

– What is harmful is to bring the process of frying in sunflower oil to the moment when it begins to boil and even more smoke, – the doctor notes. – If it is heated too long, carcinogens are formed in it. In addition, it is not recommended to use sunflower oil for food for people prone to cholelithiasis and overweight – due to the high calorie content of the product.

The use of sunflower oil in medicine

Sunflower oil promotes accelerated regeneration of damaged tissues and stops inflammation (2). This is confirmed by studies by Brazilian scientists. In their experiment, scientists involved 3 groups of experimental lambs. Under local anesthesia, small wounds were applied to the animals, which were then treated for several weeks with sunflower oil in the experimental group and Vaseline in the two controls. The result showed that the wounds that were treated with sunflower oil healed much faster.

In addition, sunflower oil shows excellent results in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease (3), due to the high content of vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant.

The use of sunflower oil in cooking

In Our Country, refined sunflower oil is widely used, especially in frying and baking. The unrefined product is popular mainly among healthy lifestyle adherents.

Yoghurt salad dressing

The sauce is the perfect accompaniment to any salad.

Natural yoghurt	1¼ cups
Mustard	1 Art. spoons
Lemon juice	2-3 Art. spoons
Sunflower oil	4 tsp
Salt	to taste
Ground black pepper	to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed until smooth. Optionally, you can add any spices you consider necessary to the sauce, for example, Provence herbs, to make its taste even more interesting.

Flatbread Chvishtari

Georgian corn tortillas with cheese are the perfect option for a quick snack. Cooking doesn’t take long

Corn flour	500 g
Sunflower oil	1 Art. a spoon
Cheese	350 g
Salt	1 hours. Spoon
Water	on the eye

Mix flour, butter, salt and grated cheese. Knead the dough by gradually adding water. Form small cakes from the dough and fry them in vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown. Put the finished cakes on paper towels to remove excess oil.

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How to choose and store sunflower oil

The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing sunflower oil is the color. The refined product should have a light shade. It is believed that the lighter the oil, the cleaner it is. Turbidity indicates that the product is spoiled. Although a small sediment at the bottom is quite acceptable and you should not be afraid of it – this is an accumulation of phospholipids useful for our body. Unrefined sunflower oil will have a darker color, so it may be more difficult to determine the quality of the product.

Another indicator of freshness is the taste of the product. Good oil should not be bitter.

To check the quality, you can put a couple of drops of oil on the skin and grind: fresh oil is quickly absorbed.

It is necessary to store sunflower oil in a tightly closed glass container, out of the reach of sunlight at a temperature of +5 to +20 °C. Keep in mind that unrefined oil spoils quickly and should be consumed within 4-5 weeks of opening the bottle.

The refined product has a shelf life of 18 months.