High oleic sunflower oil
What the research shows
No concerns
none of the findings here link it to harm
An oil pressed from sunflower seeds.
It is used in food as a frying oil.1
What research says
Studies in people
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Benefit
Cholesterol and blood fats2
In people, high oleic sunflower oil lowered cholesterol, but fish oil's effect on blood fats shrank when both were eaten together.
How it’s made and used
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Blood fat particles3
In people with high blood pressure, high oleic sunflower oil changed the fats carried in their blood.
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Blood fat makeup4
In people, eating high oleic sunflower oil changed the fats carried in the blood.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
References
- 1Sunflower oil. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Hlais S, El-Bistami D, El Rahi B, Mattar MA, Obeid OA. Combined fish oil and high oleic sunflower oil supplements neutralize their individual effects on the lipid profile of healthy men. Lipids. 2013;48(9):853-61. doi:10.1007/s11745-013-3819-x
- 3Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Perona JS, Pacheco YM, Muriana FJ, Villar J. Incorporation of dietary triacylglycerols from olive oil and high-oleic sunflower oil into VLDL triacylglycerols of hypertensive patients. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999;53(9):687-93. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600833
- 4Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Morgado N, Prada JL, Pérez-Jiménez F, Muriana FJ. Composition of human VLDL triacylglycerols after ingestion of olive oil and high oleic sunflower oil. J Nutr. 1998;128(3):570-6. doi:10.1093/jn/128.3.570