Most people believe potato chips are bad for you.
The reason for that is because people hear about the dangers of fat.
Turns out one of the main oils used for cooking potato chips actually has some pretty impressive health benefits.
The oil we’re referring to is safflower oil.
Safflower oil comes from the safflower plant. And as you’re about to see it might actually be one of the most healthy oils around. Even better than olive oil (thanks to the high cooking temperatures it can withstand).
As you’ll see, getting more safflower oil into your diet could certainly help improve health.
1 – Can Help Fight Diabetes: Diabetes is one of the most common health problems in the U.S. and often results because of people’s diet’s interfering with proper glucose response.
Safflower oil can help to improve blood sugar and in the process may help to fight diabetes.
Studies show that fats like safflower oils can blunt a person’s insulin response, keeping blood sugar levels in the normal range.
If you were to switch carbohydrates with polyunsaturated oils (like safflower oil) it could help to balance blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance (a hallmark of diabetes).
In 2011 a study observed subjects with type 2 diabetes who consumed 8 grams of safflower oil daily could see improvements in blood sugar.
The conclusion of this study suggested that inclusion of dietary fats like safflower oil may be serve as a way to help manage the dangerous disease.
2 – It Could Help Protect Your Heart: Heart disease (in all its forms) is the #1 killer of men and women in the United States.
And while most people believe consuming dietary fats is the reason heart disease happens in the first place, there are a number of studies to suggest otherwise.
The same study indicated that those 8 grams of safflower oil might also help to lower LDL cholesterol (known as the bad cholesterol) and raise HDL cholesterol levels.
And as Medical News today writes: “The unsaturated fats in safflower oil can thin the blood and make platelets less sticky. This might help prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Safflower oil might also affect blood vessels by relaxing them and reducing blood pressure.”
3 – It Can Help Heal Skin: One of the other benefits of safflower oil is it has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
When applied topically, it soothes and nourishes irritated dry skin.
It’s for this reason many cosmetic companies are starting to use it in their product lines.
Part of what makes it so beneficial for the skin is thanks to an antioxidant called vitamin E
There’s research suggesting vitamin E forms a protective barrier around and keeps free-radicals from damaging sensitive cell structures. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and that property may help keep skin nourished and protected from outside fordes.
