Safflower oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant of the same name (Carthamus Tinctorius) and mainly intended for the food industry, for the energy industry (biodisel) and for the production of paints and resins.
This characteristic, together with the very low percentage of saturated fatty acids (5-13%), is also sought in the health field, since linoleic acid has cholesterol-lowering properties; in fact, omega six, if used in moderation and in place of saturated and hydrogenated fats lower cholesterol by reducing plasma LDL levels; however, this benefit is partially attenuated by the fact that the same fatty acids also reduce the "good" HDL cholesterol. It should also be noted that, in addition to the ease of " rancidity, in Western countries the diet is already rich, often too much, in linoleic acid and omega-six. The deficiencies, if anything, are recorded in the intake of omega-three, with consequent imbalance of the ω3 / ω6 ratio in favor of this last. 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 ratio, and which will therefore be combined with safflower oil, replacing it in the meal next 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 stages of the plant's life cycle.
Ω6 / Ω3 ratio in some commonly used oils
After the extraction of safflower oil from the seeds, the residual panel, rich in proteins, is recovered and destined to feed the cattle.
The extraction of safflower oil can take place either by squeezing or by extraction with solvents, and like all seed oils it requires a more or less intense rectification phase, depending on the intended use. safflower 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 wealth of polyunsaturated fatty acids that characterizes it. For the same reason, these products must be consumed raw, since safflower oil rich in linoleic acid tends to deteriorate easily with heat.
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