You just should pay attention to the types of oils you're putting in your body. It can help reduce cholesterol, improve your skin and make your hair shiny. No wonder fructose has been called “alcohol without the buzz.”. One day margarine is good for you, the next it's bad. This process, called hydrogenation, also makes the oil able to last for long periods before turning rancid. The best keto-friendly alternatives to sunflower oil are MCT Oil, Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, and Grass-Fed Butter. Read: https://www.livestrong.com/article/458009-is-sunflower-oil-healthy/. But even that’s not 100% accurate. A tablespoon of sunflower oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. The market I bought these cherries from is supposedly focused on delivering their customers the best quality meat and fish, and yet they are selling stuff like this. The volume consumption increased dramatically too, from 1.9 million tons to 9.14 million tons per year. Typically, omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory while omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. In its most wholesome, organic and pure form, sunflower oil is a blessing. None of this is good. But like many other ingredients used in processed foods, there are cheaper alternatives out there. Don’t confuse this with alpha-linoleic acid, or omega-3. I grew up in Michigan, a state well known for the auto industry, but also famous for its delicious cherries. Hannah Hempenstall is a writer, life coach and meditation facilitator based in Byron Bay. John is the host of the Gene Food Podcast and a health coach trained at Duke's Integrative Medicine Program. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information: Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today’s Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio), exert suppressive effects. All rights reserved. Most of the “health benefits” are backed by over-inflated claims about lowering cholesterol. When the body has too many omega-6 fatty acids, inflammation occurs. It does not contain proteins and carbohydrates. Many healthy snacks announce when they've been baked in sunflower oil, giving the impression sunflower oil is healthy and good. Sunflower seed oil is commonly used in frying, fast-food prep and packaged and processed foods. When exposed to high heat, oxygen, or light, the oil begins to oxidize. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if we were using the right kind. It is recommended that Americans consume an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 4:1 or less. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Of all the seed oils, Sunflower oil contains the highest level of a-tocopherols: the most active form of vitamin E. It's also high in oleic acid. According to a report by the Australian Sunflower Association, sunflower oil jumped from being the 7thmost popular cooking oil (1958-1962) to number 4 (1996-2001). Free radicals damage the proteins, cells, and DNA in your body. A study published in the OCL Journal says "An indirect consequence of this treatment used to preserve food safety is that micronutrients of interest are also partially eliminated reducing the nutritional quality of the oil.". Uric acid and free radicals are also formed. By you using this site, you agree the information contained here is for informational purposes only. It’s been preserved through the process of drying, does it need oil as well? One day vitamin E protects against heart disease, the next it offers no benefit at all. Elevated blood glucose levels can cause problems, in fact it’s a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, but every part of our body uses it for energy. naturally farmed to be high in oleic acid. One of them is trans-unsaturated fatty acids or trans fats. Even if you’re one of the rare people who are allergic to sunflower seeds, studies have shown that sunflower oil is likely to produce a negative rather than positive allergic reaction. To reap the beauty benefits of sunflower oil you’ll need to source a premium brand like Melrose from a health store. Press J to jump to the feed. Don’t confuse this with alpha-linoleic acid, or omega-3. I especially don’t get it in light of what the science has to say about what vegetable oil can do to our bodies. #1 – High in Linoleic Acid. A good takeaway from this is to be cautious when eating out on the keto diet. They turn relatively harmless food into junk food. These processed trans fats, frequently used by food manufacturers and restaurants, show up in baked goods, snack foods, creamer, margarine, and fried foods. Strengthens the immune system. So Sunflower oil itself isnt bad. Over the course of the 15-year study, participants who took in 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar. For me, the bottom line is this: I want food sellers and producers to be accountable for the decisions they make. Opt for cold pressed sunflower oil which will still contain the natural antioxidants and vitamins. They consume these types of foods, and their health suffers as a result. An indirect consequence of this treatment used to preserve food safety is that micronutrients of interest are also partially eliminated reducing the nutritional quality of the oil.". It’s ironic because sunflower oil is one of the worst offenders when it comes to vegetable oil — it clocks in at more than 60% linoleic acid. Sadly, this process doesn’t make the oil any healthier for consumption, particularly when you have PCOS. Because additives like sunflower oil and sugar, while they may seem harmless, can damage people’s health. The reason people shy away from sunflower oil is because generally it has a very high concentration of Omega-6s. Good for business, but not so good for our health. John O'Connor is the founder of Gene Food, a nutrigenomic startup helping people all over the world personalize nutrition. Which, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. It isn't. Olive oil, safflower oil, fish oil, canola oil. Sunflower oil is high in the essential fatty acid known as linoleic acid or omega-6. Virgin Olive oil all the way, be careful when cooking on high temperature with it, since it has a fairly low burning point, best used in salad dressing, or milkshakes. Why I Switched From Coffee to Matcha for my Morning Buzz, 5 Key Causes of Low Cholesterol, and Why it Matters, Are Grain Free Diets Healthy? Sunflower oil is touted as healthy, but the facts present a different story. Refined sugar, or sucrose, is a combination of glucose and fructose. One of the end products is triglyceride, a form of fat. Consuming high amounts of linoleic acid can lead to an increase in the production of small inflammatory proteins called cytokines. These overly processed fats wreak havoc on your diet without adding any nutritional benefit. It’s considered to be one of the “healthier” oils and it’s most commonly used for cooking and salad dressings. But, look a bit closer and you'll see it's not the whole truth. Get your mag delivered!-Save 29% off the cover price! By diving deeper into how sunflower oil ends up bottled on our grocery store shelves and what it does in the human body, it’s easy to see that you should pass on the sunflower oil next time you cook up your high fat, low carb dinner. Choose oils that are less processed and have a more favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the gainitmeals community. Sunflower oil may contain dangerous trans fats. So if you consume a lot of sunflower oil and don't get an equal amount of Omega-3s, it can be unhealthy for you. If people continued to eat fructose only in fruit and occasionally honey as our ancestors did, the body would easily process it without any problems. This heated extraction process can damage both the oil’s nutritional properties and flavor. Sunflower oil is rich of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic and oleic acid, both precursors of the essential fatty acids omega 3 and 6. In other words, it can be used in deep frying over and over and can remain on kitchen shelves for ages before going off. Again, it sounds like this golden oil is a health tonic. It’s often touted as a healthy oil, as it contains unsaturated fats that … Another effect of high fructose intake is insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. But sugar was only half of my concern, the other was the Omega 6 count of the sunflower oil that was added to my cherries. This site contains affiliate links to products. HOWEVER, many brands of sunflower oil make High Oleic Sunflower Oil, which has a higher concentration of Omega-3s in it. associated with cardiovascular and chronic disease. The Journal of Clinical Lipidology also been shown that consuming 25ml of sunflower oil over a xx period can result on a reduction of LDL and HDL cholesterol levels.