carthamus tinctorius

Carthamus tinctorius is an annual flowering plant in the Asteraceae family commonly known as "safflower" or "红花" in Chinese. Its dried flowers and seed oil are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a dietary supplement. The main active constituents include linoleic acid-rich triglycerides in the oil and flavonoids such as carthamin and hydroxysafflor yellow A in the flowers. Safflower is traditionally used to promote blood circulation ("invigorate blood"), regulate menstruation and relieve pain. Modern research suggests it may help lower cholesterol levels by providing unsaturated fatty acids; improve heart health by dilating arteries; support blood sugar control via anti-inflammatory effects; act as an antioxidant; provide mild laxative effects; support skin health; aid digestion; and have hepatoprotective properties through free radical scavenging mechanisms. It is also used for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and hypertension[1][3][4][5]. In addition to medicinal uses for menstrual disorders and trauma recovery ("removing blood stasis"), it has culinary applications (as cooking oil) and industrial uses (dyeing). Safflower's mechanism of action includes vasodilation via vascular smooth muscle relaxation from its flavonoid content.

Brand names

Safola

Other names

safflowersafflower oilcarthami floscarthami oleum raffinatumhonghuaAmerican saffronbastard saffronbenibanabenibana oilcártamochardon panachédyer's saffronfake saffronfalse saffronhing huahuile de carthamekoosumbha (kusumbha)kusum phool (kusum phool)safran bâtard (safranon)zaffer (zafran)