Is Sunflower Oil Paleo?

The Quick Answer

Is sunflower oil paleo? No. Sunflower oil is not paleo.

Why Isn’t Sunflower Oil Paleo?

Manufacturers of vegetable oils like sunflower oil have basically spent the last several decades trying to put saturated fats – especially the kinds from animal products like lard or butter– in a bad light. The public has been pretty mislead into thinking that saturated fats are the enemy, but that unsaturated fats and vegetable oils are healthy.

We now know that this is far from the truth – it turns out that you actually need a fair dose of saturated fat to stay healthy.The fear of consuming saturated fats has led many people to assume that vegetables oils like sunflower oil are a good choice, but in reality there are a few major problems with most vegetable oils:

• They are highly processed and undergo a long manufacturing phase
• They are usually combined with chemical solvents and preservatives during processing
• Because they are sensitive to high heat but heated to very high temperatures before even making it to grocery stores, they are almost always toxic before even being sold to customers
• They contain omega-6 acids, but lack omega-3s

You need fat in your diet because fats play a big role in hormonal, brain and metabolic health. Oils can definitely provide a good source of healthy fat, but the key is choosing the right types of oils. Unrefined, “extra virgin”, “expeller-pressed” and “cold-pressed” oils are the ideal kinds. These include expeller-pressed virgin coconut or olive oil, which are produced in a much more natural way. These types of unrefined oils are basically squeezed out of the crops that they’re derived from, while vegetable oils are chemically extracted.

The problem with many vegetable oils – including sunflower oil – is that they are practically man-made oils, not natural ones. The body doesn’t know what to do with these types of highly refined fatty acids, so they cause complications and health problems.

By the time sunflower oil reaches your pantry, it’s most likely already turned somewhat toxic due to the lengthy process of refining, deodorizing, and clarifying that’s it undergone. This means sunflower oil does more harm than good.

Why and how do vegetables oils like sunflower oil turn toxic?

Vegetable oils are “polyunsaturated” fats, which are very fragile fatty acids and known to be filled with “free radicals”. Over time free radicals are actually what cause the aging process through “oxidative stress” – that’s why eating plenty of anti-oxidants from vegetables and fruits is so important.

Sunflower oil and other unsaturated oils are not even really meant to be cooked with in most cases – even heathy forms of unsaturated oils are much more beneficial when they are just drizzled on foods or lightly cooked at low temperatures. Polyunsaturated oils burn easily when they’re cooked at high temperatures and exposed to oxygen, which is why they are known to be “unstable”.They have “low smoking points” and become toxic more easily compared to saturated fats, like coconut oil or lard.

Sunflower oil, like most other vegetable oils, provides omega-6 fatty acids, but not omega-3 fatty acids. Most people don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet but get too many omega-6s – which is a problem because the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s is key.

When this fatty acid ratio is out of balance, a lot of things can go wrong. For example lacking omega-3s is damaging because cmega-3s are important for reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels, making arteries more flexible and preventing forms of heart disease.Reducing omega-6s by avoiding vegetable oils like sunflower oil is one way to help balance this ratio and to tip the scale in favor of omega-3s.

Is There Any Confusion When It Comes to Sunflower Oil Being Paleo?

No, the paleo community definitely agrees that sunflower oil isn’t paleo. To sum it up, sunflower oil isn’t paleo because it’s extremely processed, usually rancid/toxic due to the high-heat manufacturing phase it undergoes, contains omega-6 acids but not omega-3s and is not ideal for cooking with due.

So Is Sunflower Oil Paleo?

No, sunflower oil is not paleo. All in all there’s much better ways to get healthy fats. Coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds, plus animal fats like lard or fatty-fish are better choices overall due to being less processed/refined, more shelf-stable, and containing omega-3s in some cases.

How to Know What Is and Isn’t Paleo

Check out Paleo.io, the mobile app that answers the question, “is __ paleo?” Paleo.io comes with the most comprehensive paleo diet food list out there, so no matter which food you’re confused about, you’ll always be able to find out whether or not it’s paleo.

 
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photo credit: two wasps on a sunflower