# Safflower/Sunflower oil...



## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

Do you just buy the regular stuff... or is there a cold-pressed, extra-vergin type?


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

Wow---good question. I only use olive oil for everything--never thought about grades of Sunflower oil.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

ALL ABOUT OILS

Look for an oil that is mechanically processed, as opposed to chemically processed. Chemical processing decreases the nutrient value. Isn't that what "virgin" refers to, lack of chemical processing? In that case, the more virgin the better. Another indicator of no chemical processing is the label "unrefined." If the label doesn't say unrefined, you can assume the oil has been chemically processed. And I believe organic is best, not sprayed with pesticides.

Also, look at the ingredient list -- you want a product that has the oil nearest the top of the list. That means it has more oil than the other ingredients.

I've been reading that canola oil is better than safflower or sunflower oil, and maybe even better than olive oil ... it is rich in both Omega 3 and 6. Still doing research on this so not sure about the canola vs olive oil.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

There is some confusion in that link... it is for humans NOT dogs and what's best is different. For humans we are more concerned about HDL and LDL... doesn't come into play for dogs as they don't live long enough to be affected by plaque on artery walls etc. For dogs you are mainly concern with the Omega 6 they cannot synthesize and therefore must be present in adequate quantities within the diet... In that respect... sunflower and then safflower oils are the best. If you wish to consider Omega 3 for their anti-inflammatory properties then flax and borage seed oils become more important... however the very best sources for Omega 3s is fish oils because the forms supplied by fish oils can be used directly by the body without need for further conversions (which require energy and enzymes... think vits and minerals)... the Omega 3s in all vegetable oils only come in forms that require its conversion before the body can use it... and if any enzymes are in short supply, for whatever reason, then the conversions will not take place.

The best of both worlds is fish oil AND sunflower or safflower oil in the proper ratio.


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## Lego&Jacub (Jul 18, 2006)

Monomer I have already purchased some wild grizzly salmon oil, and now I have the safflower oil... although perhaps I should keep looking for a better product on the second one. However, what is the proper ratio??


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

I personally wouldn't worry about trying to get "cold-pressed" oils... if it bothers you enough you could try the health food stores. I figure a vegetable oil is just a fat... the only vitamin it would have is some E and if you wanted to you could add some Vit E directly to the oil. The liquid vegetable oils are made up of unmodified poly- and mono- unsaturated molecules and so there is no need to worry about trans-fats or any other un-natural molecular forms in the oil. I just don't think different processing methods really provide a true health benefit difference for yourself or your dogs... I believe it is more of a perceived benefit and has thus been repeated over and over by certain nutritionists.

The optimum ratio (of Omega 6 to Omega 3) has essentially been a 'moving target' over the years. Numbers like 10:1 and 8:1 used to be 'good ratios' but in recent times that number has been lowered to 2:1 and 3:1 (I've even seen a recommendation go as low as 1:1). So I would say you can pick any ratio that sounds good to you in the 2:1 to 6:1 range.... but THE REAL PROBLEM IS: how much of which oils do you supplement to attain your final desired ratio? None of us know the amounts and starting ratios in our dog's diet to begin with... see the problem now? There have been claims in the past (by dog nutritionists) that many low-cost kibbles have ratios over 100:1 and even some of the better kibbles only get it down to around 30:1 I actually question if they even really know the true ratios in various kibbles because its sure not printed on the bags. So knowing the ratio already present in the diet is just half the problem... the other half is how much (actual quantity) is present in the diet to begin with? This too is pretty much an unknown. Well then, how is one supposed to know how much to supplement into the diet to be sure the dog has adequate amounts of both the Omega 6s and Omega 3s AND at the proper ratios? Anyone who gives you specific recommended amounts without any provisos or conditions is 'pretending to be an expert'... and I don't care how many books they've authored or what degrees they may display after their names.

What I suggest is try feeding twice the amount of fish oil as vegetable oil in the belief that the dog's diet is over optimum ratio biased toward the Omega 6s... especially so if your dog has allergies or displays of signs of inflammation (like scratching etc). The additional Omega 6s you're supplying in the veg oil supposes your dog's diet is lacking sufficient quantities to begin with (remember Omega 6s are truely essential as they canNOT be synthesized by the dog and therefore all will only come from the diet)... this will affect skin and coat health and feel. Omega 6s are also needed for brain and eye health but these are harder to assess. Then adjust amounts and ratios of fish and veg oils according to your assessment of your dog's health and physical conditions. If you want numbers to start with I would say, a couple tbls of fish oil and a couple teaspoons of a sunflower or safflower oil would be a good place to start for the average full grown adult Golden. If you choose to add any Vit E to this... please keep it 200IUs or less. Wait about 2-months before you make any assessments because if often takes at least 4-weeks and as much as 10-weeks to see any difference in your dog's appearance and reduction in inflammation responses.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

sharlin said:


> Wow---good question. I only use olive oil for everything--never thought about grades of Sunflower oil.


EVOO!!!!!! ....wifey watches way to much Rachael Ray! :uhoh: :doh:


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