Overview
Sunflower oil is most commonly used for high cholesterol and preventing heart disease.
How does it work ?
Uses & Effectiveness ?
Possibly Effective for
- Heart disease. There is some evidence that using sunflower oil that contains high amounts of oleic acid in place of dietary fats with higher amounts of saturated fat might reduce the risk of heart disease. The suggested amount of high-oleic acid sunflower oil is about 20 grams (1.5 tbsp) per day in place of other fats and oils. Sunflower oil that contains lower amounts of oleic acid does not seem to be beneficial.
- High cholesterol. Most research shows that including sunflower oil in the diet lowers total cholesterol and "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in people with high cholesterol. However, consuming sunflower oil may be less effective at reducing cholesterol compared to palm oil and flaxseed oil. Further, sunflower oil might not be effective for lowering cholesterol in people with peripheral vascular disease or those at risk for atherosclerosis.
- Athlete's foot (Tinea pedis). Some research suggests that applying a specific brand of sunflower oil (Oleozon) to the foot for 6 weeks is as effective as the drug ketoconazole for curing athlete's foot.
Possibly Ineffective for
- High blood pressure. Taking sunflower oil for up to one year appears to be less effective than olive oil at lowering blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
Insufficient Evidence for
- Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Some early research shows that sunflower oil might reduce the extent of atherosclerosis in the arteries and improve blood vessel health in people who are overweight or obese. But other early research suggests that sunflower oil is less effective than fish oil for reducing plaque in the arteries of people with atherosclerosis.
- Dry skin. Early research suggests that applying sunflower oil to the dry skin of newborns might help with moisturization. But it might also hinder the development of normal skin barrier function that occurs during the first 4 weeks of life.
- Growth and development in premature infants. Early research suggests that, when a mother massages her very small premature infant with sunflower oil, the baby puts on weight faster than when the baby is massaged without oil or not massaged at all. But massaging with sunflower oil doesn't seem to increase the length or head circumference of the infant.
- Joint pain and swelling (inflammation) that is caused by an infection (reactive arthritis). Early research suggests that taking sunflower oil for 3 weeks does not improve symptoms in people with Reiter's syndrome.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Early research suggests that taking sunflower oil for 3 weeks does not improve symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Constipation.
- Skin conditions, when applied to the skin.
- Wound healing, when applied to the skin.
- Other conditions.
Side Effects
When applied to the skin: Sunflower oil is LIKELY SAFE when applied to the skin in appropriate amounts.
Special Precautions and Warnings
Children: Sunflower oil is POSSIBLY SAFE when applied to the skin for up to 2 months.
Allergy to ragweed and related plants: Sunflower oil may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking sunflower oil.
Diabetes: A diet that is high in sunflower oil seems to increase fasting insulin and blood sugar levels. It also seems to increase after-meal blood fats. This might increase the chance of developing "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis) in people with type 2 diabetes.
Interactions ?
We currently have no information for SUNFLOWER OIL overview.
Dosing
ADULTS
BY MOUTH:
- For heart disease: For reducing the risk of heart disease, using about 20 grams (1.5 tbsp) of high-oleic acid sunflower oil per day in place of other fats and oils with higher amounts of saturated fat might help.
- For high cholesterol: Sunflower oil at levels of approximately 45-50 grams daily for up to 12 weeks have been used. Diets containing specific brands of mid-oleic acid (NuSun) or high-oleic acid (Sunola, Meadow Lea Foods, Mascot, Australia) providing approximately 15% to 20% of dietary calories for up to 5 weeks have been used.
- For athlete's foot (Tinea pedis): A specific brand of sunflower oil (Oleozon) has been applied twice daily for 6 weeks.
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Demonty, I., Chan, Y. M., Pelled, D., and Jones, P. J. Fish-oil esters of plant sterols improve the lipid profile of dyslipidemic subjects more than do fish-oil or sunflower oil esters of plant sterols. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84(6):1534-1542. View abstract.
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Gustafsson, I. B., Vessby, B., Ohrvall, M., and Nydahl, M. A diet rich in monounsaturated rapeseed oil reduces the lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and increases the relative content of n-3 fatty acids in serum in hyperlipidemic subjects. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1994;59(3):667-674. View abstract.
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Malpuech-Brugere, C., Verboeket-van de Venne WP, Mensink, R. P., Arnal, M. A., Morio, B., Brandolini, M., Saebo, A., Lassel, T. S., Chardigny, J. M., Sebedio, J. L., and Beaufrere, B. Effects of two conjugated linoleic Acid isomers on body fat mass in overweight humans. Obes Res 2004;12(4):591-598. View abstract.
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Higdon JV, Liu J, Du S, et al. Supplementation of postmenopausal women with fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is not associated with greater in vivo lipid peroxidation compared with oils rich in oleate and linoleate as assessed by plasma malondialdehyde and F(2)- isoprostanes. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:714-22. View abstract.
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Madigan C, Ryan M, Owens D, et al. Dietary unsaturated fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: higher levels of postprandial lipoprotein on a linoleic acid-rich sunflower oil diet compared with an oleic acid-rich olive oil diet. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1472-7. View abstract.
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Pedersen A, Baumstark MW, Marckmann P, et al. An olive oil-rich diet results in higher concentrations of LDL cholesterol and a higher number of LDL subfraction particles than rapeseed oil and sunflower oil diets. J Lipid Res 2000;41:1901-11.. View abstract.
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Taheri PA, Goudarzi Z, Shariat M, Nariman S, Matin EN. The effect of a short course of moderate pressure sunflower oil massage on the weight gain velocity and length of NICU stay in preterm infants. Infant Behav Dev. 2018;50:22-27. View abstract.
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