Today, sunflower oil is a food, a medicine, and a skin treatment. It is available in several forms, each with a different formula and with its own health benefits. Sunflower oil is a popular vegetable oil in the kitchen because of its mild flavor and high smoke point.

Sunflower oil has many health benefits because it is low in saturated fat and high in two types of fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs, include omega-3s and omega-6s. PUFAs can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, especially when substituted for less-healthy fats. 

Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, also appear in sunflower oil. MUFAs may reduce heart disease. MUFAs in olive oil help make the Mediterranean diet healthy.