Safflower
- Safflower is a plant. The flower and oil from the seeds are used as medicine.
Contents
Uses
- Safflower seed oil is used for preventing heart disease, including “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis) and stroke. It is also used to treat fever, tumors, coughs, breathing problems, clotting conditions, pain, heart disease, chest pain, and traumatic injuries. Some people use it for inducing sweating; and as a laxative, stimulant, antiperspirant, and expectorant to help loosen phlegm.
- Women sometimes use safflower oil for absent or painful menstrual periods; they use safflower flower to cause an abortion.
- In foods, safflower seed oil is used as a cooking oil.
- In manufacturing, safflower flower is used to color cosmetics and dye fabrics. Safflower seed oil is used as a paint solvent.
Benefits
- High cholesterol: Some research suggests that taking safflower oil as a dietary supplement or substituting it for other oils in the diet helps lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol. However, it does not seem to lower other blood fats called triglycerides or raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol. The linolenic acid and linoleic acid in safflower seed oil might help prevent “hardening of the arteries,” lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Safflower contains chemicals that may thin the blood to prevent clots, widen blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and stimulate the heart.
Other Names
Alazor, American Saffron, Bastard Saffron, Benibana, Benibana Oil, Benibana Flower, Cártamo, Carthame, Carthame des Teinturiers, Carthamus tinctorius, Chardon Panaché, Dyer’s Saffron, Fake Saffron, False Saffron, Hing Hua, Honghua, Huile de Carthame, Kusumbha, Kusum Phool, Safflower Nut Oil, Safflower Oil, Safran Bâtard, Safranon, Zaffer, Zafran.
References
Source: WebMD, “Safflower” web article, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/