BENEFITS OF SUNFLOWERS AND SUNFLOWER OIL
The variety of sunflower grown to produce oil has a thinner stem and smaller dark seeds. Sunflower oil is beneficial to our heart and has been proven to lower cholesterol.
The oil is not just used in cooking but is also found in beauty products.
Few plants herald the summer quite like the sunflower. They have an attainable nature that makes them a common sight in many communal gardens and allotments. They can also produce immediate impact and draw the eye within a garden space with their bright colour and towering growth.
The sunflower got its name from the fact that its flower will often point itself towards the sun. Ancient Greek mythology tells us that this is because sunflowers were created from Clytie, a jealous nymph who betrayed Apollo the god of the sun for finding another love. She was buried and was reborn in the form of a sunflower. Her love for Apollo carries on, hence why she still watches him as he arcs above her in the sky.
The scientific truth is more to do with how the stem elongates when exposed to sunlight, therefore revolving the head of the plant with it. This repositioning of the plant is beneficial too, as it warms up the many florets in the flower head and helps draw in potential insect pollinators.
Sunflowers were grown by Native Americans and used as food as well as for their medicinal properties. The inside of the stem would be broken down into a pulp and placed on wounds, and soaking the plant in water produced a concoction that they would drink to help with chest pains.
- Sunflowers these days are grown less for their medicinal properties but are still used to produce sunflower oil. The variety of sunflower grown to produce oil has a thinner stem and smaller dark seeds. Sunflower oil is beneficial to our heart and has been proven to lower cholesterol. The oil is not just used in cooking but is also found in beauty products also.
- Sunflower oil has many health benefits because it is low in saturated fat and high in two types of fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs, include omega-3s and omega-6s. PUFAs can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, especially when substituted for less-healthy fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, also appear in sunflower oil. MUFAs may reduce heart disease. MUFAs in olive oil help make the Mediterranean diet healthy.
- Sunflower as a Cover Crop: It’s All About the Root
Agronomists and producers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of protecting soil from wind and water erosion. Cover crops have become more important in farming systems and can boost soil fertility and reduce soil erosion.
Planting a cover crop revolves around several factors and goals, and when it comes to using sunflowers in a cover crop mixture those reasons for incorporation are as unique as the next cover crop seed. However, the main benefit of using sunflower in cover crop mixes involves its roots. The deep root of sunflower is beneficial to sequester residual nitrogen.
“Sunflowers in cover crop mixtures are primarily used for soil health benefits such as cycling and scavenging nutrients, reducing soil erosion and alleviating soil compaction,” explains Paul. “Their deep tap root pulls nutrients and water up from soil layers that most other cover crop species cannot reach adding diversity and synergy to a mixture.”
“Sunflowers are a great crop for soil conservation and much of that success can be accredited to their root structure and deep tap root,” says Paul. “Their root structure holds soil together, alleviates soil compaction and biologically breaks through soil layers reducing the need for conventional tillage practices.”