Sunflower Oil – The importance of plants and their parts never be denied and one of the natural gifts given to us by nature is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is the fourth largest source of vegetable oil globally.
Health Benefits of Sunflower Oil:
1. Improves Heart Health:
High cholesterol content in the body means that one is more likely to develop atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and increased chances of heart attack or a stroke. Sunflower oil is a good choice for keeping a healthy heart.
2. Improves Skin Health:
It is full of vitamins E, A, D, C which keeps the skin supple and works as an excellent face moisturizer with its antioxidant activity. This oil helps the skin cells to regenerate and prevent acne.
3. Prevents Arthritis
Sunflower seed oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory capacity. Its major lipid is linoleic acid, which possibly decreases inflammation in the skin by activating peroxisome proliferative-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-α). It has been linked to a reduction in severity of rheumatoid arthritis when used within recommended limits.
4. Prevents Asthma
Vitamin E reduces and prevents oxygen damage to the tissue and is useful for the treatment of pain, inflammation and allergic reactions. A number of studies suggest that vitamin E reduces bronchoconstriction associated with asthma.
5. Prevents Cancer
Sunflower seed oil is also rich in vitamin A and carotenoids. The antioxidant content helps to fight the free radicals that cause degeneration of cells and inhibits the growth of cancerous cells. Moreover, the selenium present in sunflower seeds repairs cellular damage. So, the incorporation of sunflower oil in the diet can play a major role in reducing colon cancer, and uterine cancer as well.
6. Improves Immune System
Sunflower oil provides adequate linoleic acid for maintenance of the immune response. Linoleic acid is needed for normal immune response, and essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency impairs B and T cell-mediated responses. It helps in building new cells and tissues of the body, which is beneficial in boosting the immune system.
7. Improves Hair Health
Higher amounts of tocopherol are available in sunflower oil. The study shows that the intake of natural vitamin E may help against collagen cross-linking & thus hair health. It can treat problems of baldness & hair loss.
