Safflower Oil

Safflower oil is extracted from the seeds of the homonymous plant ( Carthamus Tinctorius ) and destined above all to the food industry, to the energy industry (biodisel) and to the production of paints and resins.

The safflower is a herbaceous plant similar to ginger, with seeds containing 30 to 55% of oil, of variable acidic composition depending on the varieties considered. Over time, in fact, the seeds have been selected to meet the requirements of the various sectors of use. The food industry, for example, is intended for varieties that produce safflower oil, particularly rich in oleic acid, a characteristic that increases its resistance to oxidation, rancidity and high temperatures, making it suitable also for frying. The paint and resin industry, on the other hand, prefers safflower oils rich in linoleic acid, due to the drying properties derived from the abundance of this polyunsaturated oil, progenitor of omega-six fatty acids; the percentages of oleic acid reached in safflower oil are by far the highest among all vegetable oils. Also interesting is the content in CLA, a very popular supplement today because it seems to promote weight loss.

Fatty acids	% safflower oil rich in oleic acid	% safflower oil rich in linoleic acid
Myristic acid (14: 0)	0.1	0.1
Palmitic acid (16: 0)	5.0-6.0	6.0-7.5
Palmitoleic acid (16: 1)	0.2	0.2
Stearic acid (18: 0)	1.5-2.0	2.0-3.0
Oleic Acid (18: 1)	74-80	10.0-13.0
Linoleic Acid (18: 2)	13-18	76-80
Linolenic acid (18: 3)	0.2 max	0.2 max
Arachidic acid (20: 0)	0.3 max	0.3 max
Beenico acid (22: 0)	0.2 max	0.2 max

This characteristic, together with the very low percentage of saturated fatty acids (5-13%), is also sought in the health field, given that cholesterol-lowering properties are ascribed to linoleic acid; in fact, the omega six, if used in moderation and as a substitute for saturated and hydrogenated fats, lower cholesterolemia, reducing plasma LDL levels; however, this benefit is partly mitigated by the fact that the same fatty acids also reduce the "good" HDL cholesterol. It should also be pointed out that, in addition to being easy to go rancid, in Western countries nutrition is already rich, often too much, with linoleic acid and omega-six. The shortcomings, if any, are recorded in the assumption of omega-three, with a consequent imbalance of the ω3 / ω6 ratio in favor of the latter. This ratio normally reaches and exceeds values ​​of 1:10, when it should be between 1: 2 and 1: 4. As shown in the figure, in safflower oil rich in linoleic acid this ratio can reach values ​​of 400: 1; the only oils that can rebalance this relationship, and that will therefore go hand in hand with safflower oil, replacing it in the next meal, are canola oil, hemp oil and fish oil.

Regardless of the data shown in the table, the quantity and quality of the oil extracted from safflower seeds depends - in addition to the variety - on environmental factors such as altitude, latitude, day and night temperatures and rainfall during the various phases of the plant's life cycle.

Ratio Ω6 / Ω3 in some commonly used oils
Cod liver oil	20: 1
Linseed oil	1: 4
Canola oil (canola)	2: 1
Hemp oil	3: 1
Soybean oil	8: 1
Olive oil	9: 1
Wheat germ oil	10: 1
Peanut oil	62: 1
Sunflower oil	71: 1

After the extraction of safflower oil from the seeds, the residual panel, rich in proteins, is recovered and destined for feeding the livestock .

Safflower oil can be extracted either by squeezing it or by extraction with solvents, and like all seed oils it needs a more or less pushed grinding phase, depending on the intended use. Safflower seed oil marketed in organic and functional food stores, for example, is cold pressed and subjected to less intense refining; the high temperatures reached in the production phases, in fact, tend to alter the heritage of polyunsaturated fatty acids that characterize it. For the same reason, these products must be consumed raw, as safflower oil rich in linoleic acid tends to deteriorate easily with heat.