Helianthus annuus

Sunflower oil/Drug Interactions:

  • Anticoagulants and antiplateletsAnticoagulants and antiplatelets: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may affect platelet activation and alter coagulation factor levels (23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29). Theoretically, concomitant use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents and sunflower oil may increase risk of bleeding.
  • Antidiabetic agentsAntidiabetic agents: Based on clinical study, sunflower oil may decrease blood glucose (30; 31; 32; 33) as well as insulin levels (11). Theoretically, concurrent use of sunflower oil with antidiabetic agents may have additive effects and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
  • Antilipemic agentsAntilipemic agents: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may lower cholesterol (24; 49; 50; 13; 42; 40; 24; 51; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 60; 33; 61; 8; 17; 62; 43; 63). Theoretically, concurrent use of sunflower oil with antilipemic agents may have additive cholesterol-lowering effects.
  • Antiobesity agentsAntiobesity agents: Clinical studies have reported conflicting findings concerning sunflower oil's effect on body weight (16; 34; 35). Its effect with antiobesity agents is not well understood.
  • Hematologic agentsHematologic agents: In humans, sunflower oil has been observed to significantly decrease fibrinogen (p=0.04) and d-dimer (p=0.01) levels, but increase tissue plasminogen activator antigen (p=0.04), compared to baseline (40). Sunflower oil has also been shown to decrease fasting chylomicron apoB48 and B100 (p<0.05) compared to olive oil (11).
  • ImmunosuppressantsImmunosuppressants: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may alter antibody levels, cytokine production, and inflammatory cell activity (36; 37; 38; 39; 20; 4; 18). Theoretically, sunflower may alter or interfere with immunosuppressants.
  • Sunflower oil/Herb/Supplement Interactions:

  • Anticoagulants and antiplateletsAnticoagulants and antiplatelets: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may affect platelet activation and alter coagulation factor levels (23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29). Theoretically, concomitant use anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents and sunflower oil may increase risk of bleeding.
  • Antiobesity agentsAntiobesity agents: Clinical studies have reported conflicting findings concerning sunflower oil's effect on body weight (16; 34; 35). Its effect with antiobesity agents is not well understood.
  • AntioxidantsAntioxidants: Sunflower oil has been found to increase serum alpha-tocopherol and oxidation lag time, and decrease serum gamma-tocopherol, lipid hydroperoxides, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in clinical studies (1; 48; 64; 65; 5). Sunflower oil has also been observed to be less effective than olive oil or fish oil and more effective than palm oil in the prevention of lipid oxidation in humans (66; 67; 68; 69). Sunflower oil consumption, however, resulted in higher free F(2)-isoprostanes (p=0.003) and malondialdehyde (p=0.04) in one human study (5). Theoretically, concurrent use of sunflower oil with antioxidants may have additive effects.
  • AntilipemicsAntilipemics: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may lower cholesterol (24; 49; 50; 13; 42; 40; 24; 51; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 60; 33; 61; 8; 17; 62; 43; 63). Theoretically, concurrent use of sunflower oil with antilipemic agents may have additive cholesterol-lowering effects.
  • Herbs/supplements used in hematology and blood disordersHerbs/supplements used in hematology and blood disorders: In humans, sunflower oil has been observed to significantly decrease fibrinogen (p=0.04) and d-dimer (p=0.01) levels, but increase tissue plasminogen activatory antigen (p=0.04), compared to baseline (40). Sunflower oil has also been shown to decrease fasting chylomicron apoB48 and B100 (p<0.05) compared to olive oil (11).
  • HypoglycemicsHypoglycemics: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may decrease blood glucose (30; 31; 32; 33) as well as insulin levels (11). Theoretically, concurrent use of sunflower oil with blood sugar-lowering agents may have additive effects and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
  • ImmunostimulantsImmunostimulants: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may alter antibody levels, cytokine production, and inflammatory cell activity (36; 37; 38; 39; 20; 4; 18). Theoretically, sunflower may alter or interfere with immunostimulants.
  • ImmunosuppressantsImmunosuppressants: Based on clinical study, sunflower oil may alter antibody levels, cytokine production, and inflammatory cell activity (36; 37; 38; 39; 20; 4; 18). Theoretically, sunflower may alter or interfere with immunosuppressants.
  • Vitamin AVitamin A: In human study, sunflower oil was shown to be significantly less effective than red palm oil at increasing breast milk retinol concentrations (44).
  • Vitamin EVitamin E: Sunflower oil has high vitamin E content and concurrent use with vitamin E supplements may cause elevations in vitamin E and alpha-tocopherol levels (12).
  • Sunflower oil/Food Interactions:

  • Insufficient available evidence.
  • Sunflower oil/Lab Interactions:

  • Blood glucoseBlood glucose: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may decrease blood glucose (30; 31; 32; 33) as well as insulin levels (11).
  • Coagulation panelCoagulation panel: Sunflower oil has been shown to affect platelet function and coagulation factor levels (23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29). Clinical trials have found sunflower oil to increase bleeding time, tissue plasminogen activator, coagulation factors FVIIc and FVIIa, and factor VII activity, and to decrease levels of coagulation factors XIIc, XIIa, and IXc, plasmin-alpha2-antiplasmin, fibrinogen, collagen-induced platelet aggregation, plasminogen activator type I, and macromolecular protein complex (MPC) (24; 23; 27; 70; 25; 26; 35). In human research, sunflower oil significantly increased tissue plasminogen activator antigen (p=0.04) and decreased fibrinogen (p=0.04) and d-dimer (p=0.01) levels compared to baseline (p=0.04) (40). In other research, sunflower oil showed no effect on red blood cell aggregation and deformability in humans (71). Sunflower oil has also been observed to decrease fasting chylomicron apoB48 and B100 (p<0.05) compared to olive oil (11).
  • Immune panelImmune panel: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may alter antibody levels, cytokine production, and inflammatory cell activity (36; 37; 38; 39; 20; 4; 18). Sunflower oil has been shown to increase plasma IgE, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, phagocytic activity, and the delayed hypersensitivity response, and to decrease plasma IgA, IgM, and IL-10 (36; 37), breast milk levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and the sodium:potassium ratio (4).
  • Lipid profileLipid profile: Based on clinical research, sunflower oil may lower cholesterol (24; 49; 50; 13; 42; 40; 24; 51; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 60; 33; 61; 8; 17; 62; 43; 63).
  • Vitamin E levelsVitamin E levels: Sunflower oil has high vitamin E content, and concurrent use with vitamin E supplements may cause elevations in vitamin E and alpha-tocopherol levels (12).