What Is Sunflower Oil Made of?

Features

• Sunflower oil is made from sunflower seeds. Up to 50 percent of the sunflower seed's weight is oil that is extracted when the seed is crushed. Sunflower seeds are made into cooking oil, as well as other products including margarine and soap.

Types

• The three types of sunflower seed oils are NuSun, linoleic and high oleic sunflower oil. Sunflower seed oil is light and contains both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Besides performing well as a frying oil, sunflower oil is low in saturated fat and high in vitamin E.

Types

• According to The Old Farmer's Almanac website, sunflowers that produce small black seeds are the preferred types for making oil. The small seeds are also made into margarine and cosmetics and can be added to animal feed. These types of sunflower seeds come from the same sunflower varieties that attract the most birds.