Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil: Which Is Healthier?

When making healthier life choices you always consider what’s best for you. Olive oil vs. sunflower oil is a comparison to help you make an informed choice.

Updated on Mar 08, 2024  |  12:12 AM IST |  349.1K
Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil
Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil

Making healthier life choices is always a process. What oil to use in your new diet may be a burning question. Olive oil vs. sunflower oil — which would tend to your needs? In recent times there has been a lot of chatter about which of these is better. Both these oils have their own set of benefits and it may be essential to know the purpose of using each of these oils before coming to a conclusion. Proportions are also a key factor in understanding what may work best for you. Keep reading to know all about the difference between olive oil and sunflower oil, and get the answer to “Is sunflower oil better than olive oil.”

Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil

Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil

Is sunflower oil healthy, or should we switch to olive oil is a question that haunts many people. Both oils are healthy in their own ways — the obvious difference between the two oils is their source. While olive oil comes from pressing olives, sunflower oil is derived from pressed sunflower seeds. While they are both plant-based oils, they have different nutritional benefits. 

1. Fat Content

The first thing you may look at in a sunflower oil vs olive oil debate may be the fat content. Both these oils may contain about 120 calories per tablespoon and are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (1), (2). These fatty acids are known to increase good cholesterol while decreasing bad cholesterol levels in the blood (3), (4). This process is beneficial for the heart as it protects your heart and lowers the risk of stroke and heart disease. Laying down the difference between sunflower and olive oil, our contributor Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, and Owner of Nutrition Insights LLC., says, “Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, contains a significant amount of monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, which have been linked to improved cardiovascular health. In contrast, though rich in vitamin E, sunflower oil predominantly consists of polyunsaturated fats and lacks beneficial polyphenols, making olive oil a slightly better choice for heart health.”

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Olive Oil And Oleic Acid:  Oleic acid is also known as omega - 9. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid that is known to suppress oncogene in your body. So when you use olive oil next time, remember that you are also fighting cancer. There is some evidence that consuming oleic acid may promote the death of cancer cells in the body and also may protect cells in the body from mutating into cancerous cells (5), (6), 7).

Sunflower Oil And Linoleic Acid: Olive oil contains 10% of linoleic acid while sunflower oil contains a whooping 65%. Sunflower oil also contains components that help with neurological functions like omega - 6 fatty acids and omega - 3 fatty acids. These factors also help in the reduction of inflammation (8).

2. Vitamin E 

Vitamin E has a plethora of benefits and it is recommended to consume it in healthy doses to ward off health issues. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), one must consume 15 milligrams of Vitamin E every day in order to reduce the risks of developing certain cancers and chronic diseases (9). It is said to reduce the formation of free radicals in the body. Additionally, vitamin E protects against vascular issues including arteriosclerosis, chest pain, leg pain from artery blockage, etc. It also reduces diabetes symptoms. Asthma, skin conditions, cataracts, etc. are treated with vitamin E (10), (11), (12). 

Olive oil: The goldenish - green color oil has been substantially used in Mediterranean cuisine and contains a good amount of Vitamin E. The gamma-tocopherol type of vitamin E, which is harmful to lung function, is present in other oils such as canola, corn, and soybean. However, vitamin E is also present in olive oil and sunflower oil in the form of alpha-tocopherol, which has no such negative effects.

Sunflower oil: This oil is known to be a rich source of vitamin E. There is some evidence that the Vitamin E found in sunflower oil can help in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and colon cancer. It has also been found that the countries in which people use olive oil and sunflower oil in cooking tend to have lower asthma rates (1), (13), (14). 

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3. Vitamin K

Vitamin K comes with a host of benefits for your health. This Vitamin is in charge of triggering the processes that initiate blood coagulation. It prevents bleeding by generating scabs and blood clots. It also helps strengthen bones and may help in the prevention of osteoporosis in older women (15). When asked about the better choice to derive vitamin K, our contributor Kelsey Costa said, “While both sunflower and olive oils contain vitamin K, olive oil is the superior choice due to its higher concentration of the vitamin, which plays a crucial role in blood clotting and bone health.”

Olive oil: Per tablespoon, the olive has more than 8 micrograms of vitamin K. 

Sunflower oil: Sunflower oil may barely contain 1 microgram of Vitamin K in one tablespoon.

4. Minerals

Generally, plant-based oils may contain fewer minerals. This may be a key point in the olive oil vs sunflower oil debate. Given that sunflower oil is a vegetable oil, it does not contain any minerals at all (1). On the other hand, olive oil is a fruit-based oil and hence may contain trace amounts of some minerals. 

Olive oil contains traces of iron which is important as an oxygen carrier in the blood (16). It also contains potassium which is good for heart health and maintaining muscle tone (17). It also has small amounts of calcium and sodium.  However, it’s important to bear in mind that olive oil isn’t a rich source of these nutrients so you may not be able to rely on it for your nutritional needs. 

Olive Oil Vs. Sunflower Oil: Which Is Better for You? 

Well, the answer seems to be quite clear! Given the nutritional aspects of the olive oil vs sunflower oil debate, olive oil contains minerals and fatty acids which are in good proportions. The ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids may be increased by sunflower oil, however, olive oil does not affect this balance. Sunflower oil is more susceptible to rancidity than olive oil due to its polyunsaturated fatty acid composition. In contrast to boring sunflower oil, olive oil has a fruity flavor. Sunflower oil tastes good, and so does olive oil – it comes to your personal choice of what you want to choose for cooking. 

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The above factors should make it easier for you to make a choice between the two oils the next time you go grocery shopping. 

Conclusion

With time, people are becoming more conscious about what they eat and how it affects their bodies. Having a healthy diet becomes essential to overall health and avoiding illness. If it is about Olive oil vs Sunflower oil, olive oil is a front runner. It may be the healthier choice as it contains a good amount of helpful fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. These plant oils, which are low in saturated fats, may strengthen bones, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce excessive bleeding when consumed in moderation. These oils include vitamin E, which may protect against rheumatoid arthritis and colon cancer. In contrast to olive oil, sunflower oil is more susceptible to rancidity due to its polyunsaturated lipid content. However, the two oils can enhance the omega 3 to 6 ratio. Therefore, pick the appropriate cooking oil to profit from it.

Contributor: Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for Consumer Health Digest

Sources

  1. FoodData Central (usda.gov)
  2. FoodData Central (usda.gov)
  3. Saturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: Modulation by Replacement Nutrients - PMC (nih.gov)
  4. High–monounsaturated fatty acid diets lower both plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
  5. Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid of olive oil, suppresses Her-2/neu (erbB-2) expression and synergistically enhances the growth inhibitory effects of trastuzumab (Herceptin™) in breast cancer cells with Her-2/neu oncogene amplification - ScienceDirect
  6. Antitumor effect of oleic acid; mechanisms of action: a review - PubMed (nih.gov)
  7. Olive oil intake and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis | PLOS ONE
  8. IJMS | Free Full-Text | Fatty Acids Composition of Vegetable Oils and Its Contribution to Dietary Energy Intake and Dependence of Cardiovascular Mortality on Dietary Intake of Fatty Acids (mdpi.com)
  9. Vitamin E - Health Professional Fact Sheet (nih.gov)
  10. Vitamin E and Cancer - ScienceDirect
  11. Vitamin E and Cardiovascular Disease : American Journal of Therapeutics (lww.com)
  12. The Use of Vitamin E in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Clinical and Experimental Hypertension: Vol 29, No 3 (tandfonline.com)
  13. Frontiers | What Are the Effects of a Mediterranean Diet on Allergies and Asthma in Children? (frontiersin.org)
  14. Frontiers | What Are the Effects of a Mediterranean Diet on Allergies and Asthma in Children? (frontiersin.org)
  15. Vitamin K - sources, physiological role, kinetics, deficiency, detection, therapeutic use, and toxicity - PubMed (nih.gov)
  16. On risks and benefits of iron supplementation recommendations for iron intake revisited - ScienceDirect
  17. Potassium and Health | Advances in Nutrition | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
  18. Toxic aldehyde generation in and food uptake from culinary oils during frying practices: peroxidative resistance of a monounsaturate-rich algae oil - PMC (nih.gov)

FAQs

Should I avoid sunflower oil?
Research has shown that one disadvantage of sunflower oil is that it releases a lot of harmful aldehyde fumes when exposed to high heat for a long time (17). As a result, it may be best to limit the use of this oil and fry the foods only on low flame.

Which oil is better than olive oil?
Avocado oil can be a good choice here. It has a higher smoke point compared to olive oil and has similar nutritional value as olive oil.

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About The Author

An M.Sc graduate in Biotechnology, and an avid foodie, Varsha decided to pursue her interests further with a

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