Is Sunflower Oil Good For You, and Is It Healthier Than Olive Oil?

Sunflower oil is one of the top four vegetable oils produced around the world. Sunflower oil and olive oil are relatively similar, but sunflower oil has more vitamin E and olive oil has a greater diversity of micronutrients.

Sunflower oil is made by pressing sunflower seeds. Although all oils are liquid fats, some kinds — like sunflower oil  — contain healthier fats than others. Olive oil is also a source of good fats and a key player in the minds of many health-conscious people Mediterranean diet. 

Since you must consume fat as part of your well-balanced diet, you should stick to healthy fats like these.  

Sunflower oil is one of the top four vegetable oils produced around the world. It comprises 9% of all the vegetable oils made worldwide. Palm oil is the most common at 35%, followed by soybean at 29% and canola oil at 14%. 

Sunflower oil is made by mechanically grinding up semi-shelled sunflower seeds. This raw oil contains the most beneficial nutrients, but you won’t find it at most public marketplaces. Raw sunflower oil has an unpleasant color and smell compared to most cooking oil. 

Several chemical processes turn raw sunflower oil into the product you find in stores. Many factors affect the quality of the finished product. These include: 

• The quality of the seeds
• The way the seeds are treated
• The extraction method
• Processing conditions

Sunflower seeds are one of many different types of oilseed that are grown throughout the world. Other oilseeds include: 

• Cottonseeds
• Palm kernels
• Peanuts
• Rapeseeds
• Soybeans

Sunflower oil is produced around the world. Ukraine alone produces 3% of the world’s supply of sunflower oil. The top consumers of sunflower oil are the European Union, India, and China.  

This oil is a popular ingredient in salad dressings. It can also be used to fry foods. It has a mild taste, a long shelf life, and a handful of nutritional benefits. 

Sunflower oil is a fantastic source of unsaturated fatty acids and Vitamin E. 

One tablespoon of sunflower oil contains: 

• 14 grams of fat
• 5.75 milligrams of vitamin E
• 0.76 micrograms of vitamin K

The fatty acids found in sunflower oil come are: 

• 1.36 grams from saturated fats
• 11.7 grams from monounsaturated fats
• 0.53 grams from polyunsaturated fats

The health benefits of sunflower oil are due to the bioactive nutrients found within it. 

Consuming oils like sunflower oil can lower your cholesterol levels. Entirely switching from saturated to unsaturated fats, like sunflower oil, can reduce your risk of heart disease by 24%. 

You also need vitamin E as part of a healthy diet. This vitamin can dissolve in fats, so it is effectively carried in sunflower oil. It acts as an antioxidant in your body. It can also help prevent blood clots and boost your immune system. 

Both males and females over 14 should get at least 15 milligrams of vitamin E daily. This means that a single tablespoon of sunflower oil provides about a third of your daily recommended amount of vitamin E. 

Olive oil is a type of oil that comes from olives. Olives are fruits that grow on olive trees. 

You can find many different grades of olive oil in the U.S. These include: 

• U.S. extra virgin olive oil. This type has the best flavor and scent of all U.S. olive oil varieties. 
• U.S. virgin olive oil. This oil is slightly lower in quality. This predominantly affects the flavor and scent of the oil.  
• U.S. olive oil. This version is a mix of refined olive oils and cruder kinds that aren’t fit for human consumption until they’re further processed. It should still have a good flavor and odor. 

Olive oil is another excellent source of unsaturated fats and a few beneficial micronutrients.

A one tablespoon serving of olive oil suitable for salads contains: 

• 13.5 grams fat
• 0.14 milligrams calcium
• 0.08 milligrams iron
• 0.14 milligrams potassium
• 0.27 milligrams sodium
• 1.94 milligrams vitamin E
• 8.13 micrograms vitamin K

Of the fatty acids found in olive oil: 

• 1.86 grams come from saturated fats
• 9.85 grams come from monounsaturated fats
• 1.42 grams come from polyunsaturated fats 

Sunflower oil and olive oil are relatively similar. But they come from dramatically different plants and have slightly different nutrient profiles. 

When you compare the ingredients in one tablespoon of sunflower oil to one of olive oil, you can see that they have relatively similar amounts of fat. But olive oil has more polyunsaturated fatty acids than sunflower oil does. Both of these are healthy fats, but polyunsaturated fats are better.  

In terms of micronutrients, sunflower oil is a much better source of vitamin E than olive oil. But olive oil contains a greater diversity of micronutrients. It has small amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium. Sunflower oil only contains fats, vitamin E, and vitamin K. 

The oils are similar, and olive oils have most of the same health benefits discussed above. Health benefits that have been studied in olive oil include its ability to help: 

• Improve your cardiovascular risk factors
• Lower your blood pressure
• Lose weight — particularly when incorporated into your diet, not in the form of capsule-based supplements 

One of the main differences is that olive oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet. There are many variations of this diet, but versions generally involve an increased consumption of: 

• Fruits
• Nuts
• Vegetables
• Legumes
• Fish

The Mediterranean diet also involves eating less red meat and dairy. Olive oil is almost the only fat source used in the Mediterranean diet. This diet has been linked to a broad array of health benefits, some likely due to the use of olive oil. 

If you’re looking for a good oil for health reasons, you may also want to consider trying the Mediterranean diet. 

Both these oils are found in commercial salad dressings and are great for homemade dressing options. They’re also some of your best options for frying food. In the U.S., fried food consumption is firmly linked to an increased risk of heart disease. This is less true in Spain, where the main oils used for frying include unsaturated fat sources. If you have to have fried food, make sure to prepare it the healthy way.