When it comes to oils, for us Italians, the most perfect dressing in the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil, a food of many virtues and obtained from the fruit pulp.
It is good to know that however, all generally defined oils made from seeds, while being less precious than olive oil, have excellent organoleptic properties that vary according to the type of seed and the type of extract used.
Seed oil is known to be rich in polyunsaturated fats Omega-3 and Omega-6, important for preventing vascular risk and also for those with high cholesterol. But these peculiar organoleptic characteristics are entirely preserved by mechanical squeezing, while they are lost in the chemical that uses solvents.

The mechanical extraction can be carried out cold, by special presses which, without further refinements, will keep all the nutritional properties of the product labeled as “first press or squeezing”. There are also mechanical extractions with hot pressing or second squeezing, for an “alternative” and more natural refining type, which is therefore only used for BIO-certified products.

Let us now pay attention to the Sunflower Oil, chosen by Delicius for its Sunflower Oil Line.

The composition of sunflower oil is essentially unsaturated fats, about 32% of oleic acid (mono-unsaturates) and 52% of linoleic (polyunsaturated) precursors of Omega 3 and 6 fats; these omega fats are important for the heart’s health, energy production, oxygen transport, hemoglobin formation in the bloodstream, and even to keep the body’s hormonal system in balance.
One component in sunflower oil is vitamin E (68 mg / 100 gr), also called tocopherol. Its primary property is to be an excellent antioxidant, even five times higher than olive oil, and is thus capable of protecting cell membranes and fighting free radicals responsible also for cellular aging.

To sum up, these are the main properties of Sunflower seed oil:
– Antioxidant
– Reduces Cholesterol
– It protects the skin
– Radicals Free
– Anti-inflammatory
– Energizing
– Reduces asthma symptoms
– Reinforces the Immune System
– Calories: 100 grams of sunflower oil have a calorie intake of 884 calories.

Discover the full range of Delicius products in sunflower seed oil and let us inspire you with our recipes.