Are you on the lookout for a healthy oil that will give you and your family all the nutrients you need? Then safflower oil is what you should be looking at! This is because of the various health benefits it offers!

Would you like to know what they are? Keep reading!

1. Vitamin E:

Safflower is a rich source of vitamin E, which helps in thinning the blood, thereby preventing the clumping of blood platelets. It also has antioxidant properties that can reduce scars, wrinkles and boost cell regeneration.

2. Diabetes:

Safflower oil has been shown to reduce or at least manage diabetes (1). It contains linoleic acid that is a polyunsaturated fatty acid or PUFA. But unlike conjugated linoleic acid, which reduces body fat but does not affect blood glucose level, safflower oil has greater sensitivity towards insulin. It has been found that women with Type 2 diabetes benefit from adding about two teaspoons of safflower oil to their daily diet as salad dressing or cooking oil.

3. Skin:

Safflower oil is much lighter than olive oil or coconut oil, but it is really good at locking the moisture in your skin. It is a natural anti-inflammatory agent (2) and maintains the integrity of cell membranes. So high levels of toxins or bacteria in the air will affect your skin less if you apply safflower oil. It is a good cleanser and is a much better option than over the counter cleansers.

4. Hair:

Safflower oil is really good for your hair if it gets frizzy or dried out quickly. It also contains huge amounts of vitamin E, which is great for hair. To care for your hair, you can do the following:

• Take 22 tablespoons of safflower oil and add five drops of rosemary oil. Mix them together. Massage your scalp with this oil and get ultimate conditioning.
• Even when you shave your legs, you can rub a bit of safflower oil before and after and you will notice that the hair takes longer to grow back.

5. Immune System:

Safflower oil is great for the immune system because of the fact that it has loads of vitamin E (3) . In fact, vitamin E deficiency is the leading cause of a compromised immune system. It has been found in studies that elderly people who consume 400 to 800 units of vitamin E every day are at a lower risk of contracting infections. However, those who have auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, an overactive immune system may be harmful. For them, the dosage of safflower oil needs to be regulated.

6. Obesity:

In a clinical study, it was investigated whether a high safflower oil diet could, in fact, prevent diet-induced obesity. Safflower oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Its main fatty acid – linoleic acid – makes up for 74% of the oil’s lipid content. The safflower oil diet can alter the adipocytic gene expression that is responsible for obesity. So this indicates safflower oil’s benefits for obese and overweight people.

7. Premenstrual Syndrome:

Premenstrual syndrome manifests in many women just before menses in the form of depression, abdominal pain, tenderness in the breasts, bloating and so on. This is caused due to the release of prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances. However, the release of prostaglandins can be managed by ingesting linoleic acid. And as we have already discussed, the main lipid content of safflower oil is made of linoleic acid. So, this oil is good for you if you are suffering from PMS.

8. Heart:

PUFAs are beneficial in preventing cardiovascular diseases and maintaining heart health. Safflower oil has been seen to prevent atherosclerosis or hardening of arteries (4)^. This condition is responsible for slowly progressing towards artery blockage, and is usually the main reason behind heart attacks and strokes. Essentially cholesterol, broken down cells, and debris clump together and attach to the arterial walls. This causes their hardening. Safflower oil has been shown to prevent this condition.

9. Cystic Fibrosis:

Cystic fibrosis leads to the deficiency in certain essential fatty acids. These fatty acids are present in safflower oil. So the oil can be used to fix the aberration in fatty acid composition.

10. Eczema:

Cosmetics that soften the skin often have safflower oil in them. It has a number of chemicals that help in treating eczema. To make your own DIY eczema remedy, add calendula flowers and turmeric to safflower oil. Make a paste and apply on the eczema several times a day.

11. High Blood Pressure:

Safflower oil is really good for controlling high blood pressure (5). It contains several chemicals that are responsible for thinning the blood and preventing blood clots. It also widens blood vessels and thereby reduces blood pressure.

12. Cholesterol:

Safflower oil contains good cholesterol or HDL. HDL acts against bad cholesterol, or LDL, and reduces the percentage of the latter in the bloodstream. So, people who suffer from high cholesterol will be benefitted by switching to safflower oil for cooking purposes.

13. Constipation:

Safflower oil is often used as a home remedy for constipation. To relieve constipation, you can simply take a tablespoon of oil once every day. As it has almost no flavor, it shouldn’t be a problem. But to make it taste better, you can mix lemon juice with the oil and use it as a salad dressing.

14. Hepatitis C:

This is not a conclusive benefit, but some studies show links between safflower oil and prevention of hepatitis C. In traditional Japanese therapy, safflower seed extract and oil emulsions were used to treat hepatitis C.

15. Phrynoderma:

In a study, it was found that patients who had phrynoderma (a kind of rough skin syndrome) showed improvements on consuming regulated doses of safflower oil(6). This is because safflower oil contains essential fatty acids and vitamin E – both of which combat skin problems.

Safflower oil is not all that expensive. Also, the flavor is not exotic and does not take too much time to get used to! Try this oil and reap the many benefits it offers! If safflower oil has helped you with your cholesterol levels or a severe case of eczema, let us know in the comments below!

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by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE