High Oleic Sunflower Oil

The oil has a very neutral taste and provides excellent stability without hydrogenation. High oleic sunflower oil offers a trans free oil solution for customers. The oil has many uses including bakery applications, spray coating oils for cereal, crackers and dried fruit; it is used in non-dairy creamers, many types of frying and other uses.

The patent on high oleic sunflower oil and seed has expired. Thus, more companies are getting involved in producing and merchandizing this oil. However, for the near term at least, it will continue to be grown on a contracted acre basis with customer needs driving total acres. As with all sunflower, high oleic hybrids have been developed through conventional breeding methods.

Findings: For patients who consumed a dietary portfolio high in monounsaturated fat, HDL cholesterol rose, whereas for those consuming the dietary portfolio low in monounsaturated fat, HDL cholesterol did not change. Monounsaturated fat increased the effectiveness of a cholesterol-lowering dietary portfolio, despite statin-like reductions in LDL cholesterol. The potential benefits to lower cardiovascular risk were achieved through increases in HDL cholesterol and further reductions in the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol. A more detailed abstract of this research is available via the Canadian Medical Association Journal web site (www.cmaj.ca).

Authors: David J.A. Jenkins, MD, Laura Chiavaroli, MSc, Julia M.W. Wong, PhD RD, Cyril Kendall, PhD, Gary F. Lewis, MD, Edward Vidgen, BSc, Philip W. Connelly, PhD, Lawrence A. Leiter, MD, Robert G. Josse, MBBS, Benoît Lamarche, PhD.