Unrefined sunflower oil: benefits and harms

Chemical composition of sunflower oil

The oil is known for its healing properties due to the content of useful elements:

• vegetable fats; according to experts, such fats are much easier to digest compared to animals;
• fatty acids - linoleic, stearic, arachidic, oleic, palmitic, behenic, which have a beneficial effect on the construction of tissues and cells, and also benefit in improving the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
• alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) is an important antioxidant that slows down the natural aging process and protects against the formation of cancer cells.

The composition also contains phosphorus and sterols.

It is worth noting that sunflower oil contains a higher concentration of tocopherol compared to other vegetable fats. Even olive oil, which is positioned as the most useful and enriched with the most important medicinal properties, is inferior in this component.

Important! Sunflower seed oil contains 12 times more tocopherol than any other vegetable.

Nutritional value and calorie content of sunflower oil

A very high-calorie product: 899 calories per 100 g. Information about nutritional value and beneficial components is presented in the table:

Beneficial properties of unrefined product

Unrefined vegetable oil benefits the entire body:

• contains unsaturated fatty acids that are involved in the synthesis of nerve cells and membranes;
• normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, recommended for ulcers, gastritis, constipation;
• stimulates blood circulation in the brain, improves memory;
• eliminates premature aging, primarily by strengthening hair and improving skin;
• has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system: strengthens the walls of blood vessels, reduces the risk of heart attacks, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques;
• improves the condition of arthritis, gout, rheumatism;
• normalizes the functioning of the endocrine and genitourinary systems.

The product is recommended for baby food due to its extensive effect on the body. But you shouldn’t use it for weight loss purposes. In order not to turn the benefits of unrefined sunflower oil into harm, you must follow the calculated fat intake, taking into account all sources of lipids.

Dietary properties are determined by the content of substances that accelerate metabolic processes in the body. The product is almost pure fat, and it does not matter whether it is refined or not. It is forbidden to drink it with spoons.

Calories and nutritional value

100 g contains 898-899 kcal. The exact amount depends on the fat content of the raw material, and therefore on the place and growing conditions of sunflowers. In this regard, the chemical composition also differs slightly:

• fats – 99.9%;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids – 65.0-75.0%;
• saturated fatty acids – 12.5-16.3%;
• vitamin E – 44-60 mg%;
• phosphorus – 2%;
• vitamins A, , F – up to 1% (may be absent altogether);
• phospholipids – up to 1%.

The main nutritional value of unrefined raw materials is essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Moreover, the latter predominate.

The main task of omega-3 fatty unsaturated acids is to cleanse the body of cholesterol, which is not present in sunflower oil in principle. Accordingly, 1% of these substances is sufficient.

What are the benefits of sunflower oil?

Benefits of sunflower oil for the human body:

• Used as a prophylactic against skin diseases.
• Useful for respiratory diseases.
• It has long been used in the treatment of rickets in children.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• Reduces the likelihood of developing cancer.
• When used correctly, it allows you to cleanse the body of excess cholesterol.
• Improves brain function.
• Normalizes the cardiovascular system.

Refined deodorized sunflower oil has less significant health benefits. This is due to the fact that it undergoes multi-stage processing, as a result of which vitamins and beneficial properties disappear. If used regularly it can even cause harm.

The benefits of sunflower oil

1. Participates in the synthesis of nerve fibers, forms cells, and regenerates tissues.
2. Reduces the amount of bad cholesterol. For this reason, the oil is allowed to be consumed by overweight people.
3. Prevents many diseases of the heart and vascular system, in particular atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, and other pathologies.
4. Increases brain function by stimulating neurons. Strengthens concentration, improves memory and vision. Promotes quick assimilation of information.
5. It has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, thyroid gland, and digestive tract.
6. Relieves painful cramps during the menstrual cycle, facilitates menopause.
7. Improves the functioning of the digestive system, normalizes the digestibility of complex foods, and relieves constipation.
8. Used in the therapeutic treatment of arthritis, gout, and bone problems.
9. Slows down the processes of premature aging of the skin and the body as a whole. Improves the condition of nail plates, skin, hair.
10. Evens out the hormonal levels of teenagers, pregnant and lactating girls. Normalizes the psyche.

Sunflower oil for pregnant and lactating women

During pregnancy, a woman is often bothered by constipation caused by a sedentary lifestyle, lower back pain, bowel dysfunction, and poor diet. To cope with this delicate problem, it is useful to drink sunflower oil. It is enough to take 2 tablespoons.

A similar technique is also effective for heartburn, which many pregnant women complain about. It is also acceptable to take it in other ways, for example, as a salad dressing. This does not change the beneficial properties.

After the birth of a child, a woman’s body undergoes serious hormonal changes; it benefits from food enriched with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, micro- and macroelements, and vitamins. Sunflower oil is an integral part of the diet of a young nursing mother.

Women during pregnancy and lactation are recommended to take only raw sunflower oil, which has not been subjected to heat treatment and is maximally enriched with vitamins and beneficial properties. Other types of product may cause harm to vulnerable organisms.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that before adding oil to your diet and using it to get rid of health problems, you need to consult a specialist.

Important! During such a delicate period as carrying a child and breastfeeding, you need to be extremely careful when selecting various food ingredients, since many of them can harm both mother and baby.

Is sunflower oil good for the elderly?

With age, the body begins to lose the ability to independently cope with stress; for this reason, older people regularly suffer from disorders of the heart and gastrointestinal tract. Particularly harmful to health are waste products and toxins that clog blood vessels, increasing the risk of thrombosis. Therefore, the body needs help, which is recommended to receive by taking healthy foods. Sunflower oil will help balance your diet and saturate it with vitamins and essential substances.

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Cold-pressed sunflower oil is very useful for older people because it allows:

• normalize hormonal levels;
• strengthen the immune system;
• enrich yourself with macro- and microelements, vitamins;
• normalize the functioning of the stomach, intestines, and heart muscle.

According to clinical data, older volunteers who added a small amount of this healthy ingredient to their menu daily, for example, as a salad dressing, had a 2-fold reduction in cardiovascular pathologies.

Types of sunflower oil

Today, there are several types of plant raw materials, all of them differ in the method of production. The oil is extracted by cold cycle, extraction and hot pressing. Cold pressed oil has the greatest value.

According to the method of purification and subsequent processing, the following types of sunflower oil are distinguished:

Unrefined - it has undergone only rough mechanical processing and has an unpleasant, pungent odor.

Refined - purified after mechanical processing, smells neutral.

Deodorized - light, cleared of sediment using a vacuum device, does not smell at all.

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Hydrated - purified by using hot water.

There is no specific answer regarding which oil is best to use. If possible, it is necessary to choose a composition that has the highest benefit.

Unrefined raw materials are considered the most valuable, but the unpleasant smell repels many. All other types undergo several stages of processing, with each of which some of the benefits are lost (namely, the accumulation of fatty acids is reduced).

Is it possible to give sunflower oil to children?

It is not only possible, but also necessary to be given to children, since the oil is rich in healthy fatty acids, which are necessary for the full development of the child and normal growth.

Warning! It is worth noting that the gradual introduction of oil into the baby’s diet starting from 5 months is considered safe and beneficial. However, doing this on your own initiative is unacceptable; consultation with a pediatrician is necessary. Possible harm to the child's fragile body.

Permissible dosage:

• babies up to one year - no more than 3 g per day;
• from one year to 3 years – 6 g;
• over 3 years – up to 18 g per day.

Can be added to purees and vegetable soups. It is not recommended to subject it to strong heat treatment, since the beneficial properties of the oil will disappear.

Sunflower oil for the digestive system

1. A natural product that has not undergone heat treatment has mild laxative properties. The oil lubricates the walls of the esophagus, making it easier for food to pass through and not get stuck. This reduces the frequency of constipation and provides a comprehensive cleansing of toxins.
2. Sunflower oil is used to treat mucous membranes from small ulcers. In this case, it is necessary to ingest the composition obtained by cold squeezing.
3. In the product, unsaturated fatty acids make up most of the volume. They are necessary to normalize stool, eliminate flatulence, heaviness, and pain in the stomach. The oil enhances the absorption of beneficial enzymes by the walls of the esophagus.

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Treatment with sunflower oil

The health benefits of the oil are that it can be used to safely treat various diseases:

1. Eliminating constipation with oil is one of the most effective methods of dealing with the problem. To prevent/eliminate constipation, it is enough to adjust your diet and add a spoonful of a healthy product to your main dishes every day. It is not recommended to exceed this dosage so as not to harm the intestines.
2. Rinsing your mouth with sunflower oil allows you to cleanse your body of germs and bacteria, since most of them are concentrated in the oral cavity. You can also reduce gum inflammation by using rinses. You need to take a small amount of the product into your mouth, rinse slowly for 3-5 minutes and spit it out.
3. For sore throat and sore throat, gargling is also useful. Oil is drawn into the mouth, the head is thrown back a little, you need to gargle for several minutes, then spit it out. To be beneficial during throat illnesses, gargling should be done every 2-3 hours. The harm from such treatment is minimal, but it is recommended to first consult with a specialist.

Interesting video about the benefits of oil:

How to take sunflower oil for weight loss

The benefits of the product in the process of losing weight are questionable. There is an opinion that you need to drink it to speed up weight loss. However, it has been scientifically proven that this method will not be able to get rid of excess subcutaneous fat. This will not harm your health, but it will not be particularly beneficial for reducing the number of kilograms.

However, the beneficial properties for losing weight lie elsewhere. The composition contains fatty acids and vitamins, which are often lacking for those who, in pursuit of a slim figure, limit themselves to certain dishes. Due to strict diets, the body experiences a deficiency of vital elements, and adding a small amount of oil (for example, as a dressing in a vegetable salad) will fill the gaps without harming the process of losing excess weight.

Why is unrefined oil the healthiest?

In order to understand this, you just need to understand the methods of oil production and its subsequent processing processes.

Methods for producing sunflower oil

1. Chemical method - extraction . The most common production method, which allows almost 99% of the oil to be extracted from raw materials. The raw material is cake, i.e. what remains after pressing the oil from sunflower seeds. This production method involves the use of solvents: gasoline grades A and B, as well as hexane. After the extraction procedure, the oil can be refined or unrefined.
2. The physical method is spinning . The most environmentally friendly way to produce oil, no more than 40% of the raw materials used will be oil, the rest is waste, or rather cake, used for extraction (chemical processing). Accordingly, its high price is completely justified economically. In this case, there are two options for spinning, depending on the temperature at which it is done:

• "Hot spin". Sunflower seeds are pressed under pressure, and at the same time a high temperature is maintained, up to approximately 100-120 degrees, which allows to maximize the extraction of oil from the sunflower seed - up to 40% of the raw materials used.
• "Cold pressed". The first method used by man to obtain oil. During such production, the raw material still undergoes some heat treatment, but it can be called natural, since when pressed into a press, the seed itself heats up to 40-55 ° C. Next, the resulting oil goes through several stages of filtration. This method of obtaining oil is the least productive and reaches no more than 30% of the total volume of sunflower seeds used.

Methods for purifying sunflower oil

Regardless of how the oil was extracted from the seeds, it undergoes or relatively does not undergo purification, i.e. refining.

• Raw oil . It only went through the spinning procedure, i.e. the very first stage in the production process. This oil retains a maximum of useful elements, but is not stored for long.
• Unrefined oil . On store shelves, the product presented appears as unrefined sunflower oil, but it goes through the first stage of refining - removing mechanical impurities, which helps it not acquire bitterness and odor longer.
• Refined oil . After the first stage of refining, several more operations take place where the oil is exposed to hot water (70° C), steam, low temperatures, alkali, and bleaching with absorbents (special clays).

Unrefined (left) and refined (right) sunflower oil
The oil can also undergo deodorization - a process of treatment under high temperatures and vacuum to get rid of odor components. But, unfortunately, during this process, beneficial substances are lost even more, so refined deodorized oil is the most “dead”. In terms of health, it is only suitable for the frying process, where there will be temperature treatment anyway.

Based on a brief description of the methods for obtaining sunflower oil, we can conclude that the less sunflower seeds were exposed to influence, the more vitamins remained for the consumer, and the more beneficial it is for humans, although it is more expensive. But it is important to understand how all the beneficial substances from this oil will enter the body. If in its raw form, then unrefined oil is healthier, but when frying, everything changes.

From the above it is clear that the most beneficial for health is cold (first) pressed raw oil. But refined oil, which is more common due to longer storage, is not particularly inferior to it in terms of preserving useful elements. Further we will talk about him.

Cleansing the body with sunflower oil

Cleansing the body can be done by sucking oil in the mouth. The benefits of this procedure are enormous:

• everything unnecessary and harmful in the body is sucked out;
• metabolic processes improve;
• normal cell function is restored;
• clears the sinuses during sinusitis and colds;
• Toxins are removed, excess cholesterol is reduced.

To get real benefits from this method, you must carry out the procedure at least twice a day.

The use of sunflower oil in cosmetology

Taking advantage of the benefits of body butter is one of the most popular summer life hacks. To get a perfectly even and beautiful tan, before going to the beach, you need to wipe your skin with a sponge dipped in high-quality oil.

Also, based on this ingredient, you can prepare various cosmetic masks for the face and hair.

Face masks

Masks will moisturize the skin, rejuvenate, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. To test the beneficial properties of one of the most useful recipes, you will need the following ingredients:

• yeast – 30 g;
• cream – 50 ml;
• honey – 50 g;
• sunflower oil – 30 ml;
• lemon juice – 5-6 drops.

Sequencing:

1. First you need to mix the yeast with the cream and heat it slightly.
2. Stir and wait until the yeast dissolves.
3. After this, add the remaining ingredients in the indicated proportions and beat thoroughly with a whisk.
4. Apply the resulting mixture to your face.
5. For maximum benefit, it is recommended to also treat the neck and décolleté area.
6. After half an hour, when the skin is saturated with the healing properties of the mask, remove it with a damp cotton pad and wash.

Hair masks

The beneficial properties of the oil are also used for masks. With their help, you can make your hair beautiful, healthy, shiny; they will begin to grow faster, and the color will become more saturated. The benefits of the mask will be primarily noticeable on dry, brittle, split ends.

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For dry hair

1. Mix oil and lemon juice in a 2:1 ratio.
2. Apply the mixture along the entire length of the hair, from roots to ends.
3. Hide your hair under a plastic bag and wrap a towel on top.
4. After half an hour, rinse thoroughly under running water.

Important! This mask not only nourishes the hair, but also effectively fights dandruff.

For brittle and split ends

1. Grind burdock root (100 g), add to a glass with butter, stir.
2. Cover the dishes and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
3. After this, keep the mixture in a water bath (no more than 20 minutes).
4. Cool to a comfortable temperature, strain.
5. Apply the mixture to your hair from roots to ends.
6. Be sure to rub the mask into the scalp with gentle massaging movements.
7. To achieve a greater effect, cover your hair with a plastic bag or a special cap and a towel on top.
8. After half an hour, rinse with water.

For visible results, it is recommended to care for your hair using the suggested recipes twice a week.

The benefits of frozen butter

1. The presented oil processing technology completely removes the composition of waxy compounds. Thanks to this process, the transparency of the final raw material increases.
2. Frozen butter is recommended for consumption by people who follow a diet. This product contains a minimum amount of harmful compounds. It is completely permissible to fry foods, stew vegetables, and dress salads in oil.

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Which oil is healthier: refined or unrefined?

If you compare unrefined and refined sunflower oil, their benefits and harms differ significantly. On the packaging of the unrefined product you can see the inscription Virgin, which means a pure product that has undergone only primary mechanical filtration. This allows you to preserve maximum beneficial properties.

During the preparation process, refined products undergo many technological treatments, including heat. Several degrees of purification reduce the healing properties. And if taken excessively, such a product can cause serious harm to health.

Based on the preparation technology, we can conclude that unrefined is much healthier in terms of properties than refined.

Harm of sunflower oil and contraindications

There is a high probability of getting both benefits and harm from unrefined sunflower oil. It is very dangerous if abused; it can lead to obesity and a significant increase in bad cholesterol in the blood. In large doses it causes digestive problems. If you consume a low-quality or expired product, poisoning is possible.

Important! People suffering from diabetes and severe heart pathologies should add oil to their diet with caution, as this product can cause significant harm to health.

Benefit

Refined oil is more convenient for preparing fried foods; it does not smell or smoke. But the refined product is inferior to the unrefined one due to the method of preparation - multi-stage purification. Due to its composition, the product has a whole range of useful properties. These include:

• cleansing and removing toxins and various toxic substances from the body;
• lowering cholesterol levels;
• natural laxative - has a mild effect in case of difficulties with stool;
• increased immunity, increased protective function of the body;
• optimization of the functioning of the endocrine glands, as well as the reproductive glands;
• prevention of the development of atherosclerosis;
• improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Doctors recommend using unrefined oil to prevent gastritis and ulcers. Useful product for baby food. It can be used for preventive measures to prevent the development of rickets in children. The sunflower product is used for toothache and for the treatment of thrombophlebitis. Another beneficial property is reducing the risk of developing skin diseases.

The product cannot be called low-calorie, but due to its valuable chemical composition it is worth using in dietary nutrition. The main rule is to use in small doses.

The high content of fatty acids makes unrefined oil mandatory in the human diet. Fatty acids are a must for humans, just like minerals and vitamins. Unrefined sunflower oil reduces the risk of developing skin diseases.

The useful product is used not only internally. When used externally, the effect of moisturizing the skin and healing cracks was noticed. Unrefined sunflower oil strengthens the nail plate, making nails less flaky. Using hair masks allows you to achieve softness and easy combing. Stimulating the roots with a small amount will provide strength to the curls and stimulate their growth.

How to choose sunflower oil

• When choosing, you need to pay attention to the sediment in the bottle. If the oil is fresh, of good quality and has the most beneficial properties, a slight sediment with slight cloudiness at the bottom of the container is acceptable.
• Another important indicator is taste. It should be light and pleasant. If the taste is bitter, this is a sign of a low-quality or expired product, which will not be beneficial.
• You can also check the quality by the composition. Place a drop on the skin and rub lightly. If it is absorbed quickly, this indicates high quality.
• It is better to purchase small volume containers. When opening the bottle and regular use, the oil will come into contact with air, which will significantly reduce its shelf life, worsen its healing properties, and can also harm the body.