Safflower oil is popular for edible uses because of its high unsaturated fatty acid content. It is also one of the oils with the least amount of saturated fat. Unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid that lacks some hydrogen atoms and has one or more points of instauration. An saturated fat is a triglyceride that contains one or more unsaturated fatty acids.
Polyunsaturated fats are associated with lowering of blood cholesterol. Also, mono-unsaturated such as oleic safflower oil tends to lower blood levels of LDL without affecting HDL.
The flowers are also reported to have medicinal properties to cure several chronic diseases, like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, spondylosis and sterility in both men and women.
Safflower contains more linoleic acid than any other seed oil, an ‘essential fatty acid’ that cannot be created by the human body, but is a nutritional necessity for healthy development and growth.
Unsaturated fatty acid in safflower
