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Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion


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Sunflower Oil Benefits (According to Ayurveda)
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Table of Contents

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sunflower oil is a relatively safe, neutral oil for all three doshas. However, deep fried food aggravates all three doshas. Fried food aggravates Vata due to dryness, Pitta due to excess bile production, and Kapha due to heaviness.

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  • SERVING SIZE: 2 tsp
  • FAMILY: Asteraceae
  • SPECIES: Helianthus annus
  • EAT IN: SUMMER

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Is Sunflower Oil Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Sunflower Oil' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Metabolic Nature of Sunflower Oil

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD

OILY

ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry metabolic nature. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot & moist. Full-blooded, vigorous. Vivacious, social, and epicurean. Bullish.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

AGGRAVATES
PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

Other

Tissue (dhatu):
Fat

MILD FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

Family:
Asteraceae

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Sunflower Oil
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Energy Vitality:
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:
Emollient

EMOLLIENT

Soothes & softens the skin. Often a topical demulcent or oil.

SEE ALL 'EMOLLIENT' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:

Foods with a Similar Nature to Sunflower Oil

  • Flax Oil

    Flax Oil has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Safflower Oil

    Safflower Oil has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Grape Seed Oil

    Grape Seed Oil has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Corn Oil

    Corn Oil has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic, Emollient

    LEARN MORE

  • Canola Oil

    Canola Oil has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic, Emollient

    LEARN MORE

  • Olive Oil

    Olive Oil has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic, Emollient

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Oil

    Mustard Oil has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Eggs

    Eggs has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Oil

    Coconut Oil has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Ghee

    Ghee has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Sunflower Oil

  • Vata Massage Oil

    Vata Massage Oil has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Almond Oil

    Almond Oil has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Vata Shirodhara Oil

    Vata Shirodhara Oil has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Sukumaram Ghrita

    Sukumaram Ghrita has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Kshirabala Taila

    Kshirabala Taila has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Pitta Massage Oil

    Pitta Massage Oil has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha Ghee

    Ashwagandha Ghee has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Joint Balm

    Joint Balm has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Solomon's Seal

    Solomon's Seal has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Bala Taila

    Bala Taila has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Balarishta- Vitality Tonic

    Balarishta- Vitality Tonic has these Actions in Common

    Emollient, Tonic

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View other ingredients
for Summer

Sunflower Oil is recommended for Summer. Check out these other Summer foods here.
VIEW ALL SUMMER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR VATA / PITTA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
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Clinical Tools & Resources

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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