Safflower : Carthamus tinctorius L

 

Safflower : Carthamus tinctorius L

It is widely accepted as Safflower or false saffron, belongs to the Compositae or Asteraceae family

The whole plant’s branches (i.e. of primary, secondary, and tertiary types) terminate into tubular flower heads known as capitula

These flowers in bright yellow, orange or red are enclosed by spiny bracts

In Indian traditional medicine, safflower is typically used for scabies, arthritis, and mastalgia. 

High-quality edible oil is extracted from brilliant safflower, which finds rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids of utmost importance for managing the cholesterol level in blood. It is nutritionally akin to olive oil due to the high amounts of linoleic or oleic acid. The monounsaturated fatty acid for instance, oleic acid, is helpful in the attempt to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL; bad cholesterol) while having no undesirable impacts on high-density lipoprotein (HDL; good cholesterol) in blood

Note: For some people, safflower seed oil has shown allergies etc.