This Healthier Cooking Oil Alternative Helps Stabilize Blood Sugar and Fights Heart Disease

Move over, olive oil, because there’s a new favorite cooking oil in town! While you may have never heard of it, safflower oil is about to become your new favorite ingredient in the kitchen no matter what you’re making.

Coming from the bright orange safflower plant, this oil is incredibly mild in flavor and can be used when cooking on high heat. But don’t let its unassuming taste fool you; it’s full of incredible nutrients that make it the cooking oil to check out.

What makes safflower oil worthy of a look? It’s got a high concentration of “good fats,” otherwise known as unsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Together with a balanced diet, they can stabilize blood sugar levels, lower inflammation, and increase your insulin sensitivity, all of which are crucial for keeping diabetes at bay. Moreover, omega-6 fatty acids are critical for cardiovascular health and helping your heart running smoothly as you age. If all of that wasn’t enough, it’s also high in vitamins A, E, K, and D. Together, these can do everything from strengthening your vision and clearing your skin to aiding in blood clotting and preserving bone health.

On the cooking side of the equation, what makes it preferable to some of the other popular options, like olive and coconut oil, is that it’s able to withstand higher temperatures, meaning that its molecules won’t break apart and turn toxic as easily when you turn up the heat. Its neutral taste that can go with any dish is an added bonus.

While safflower oil has so many benefits, it’s important to still use it in moderation as you would any other oil you’re cooking with. Just as you wouldn’t drench your veggies or meat in olive oil when you’re firing up your pan, you wouldn’t want to do the same with this oil either. Still, it may be time to make the switch!