Ahiflower oil is extracted from the seeds of the Buglossoides arvensis plant which is rich with up to 20% stearidonic acid (SDA). A nutritionally-important fatty acid in the omega-3 family, SDA has a wide range of potential uses including nutritional supplements, foods and personal care products.
Buglossoides arvensis grows as both an annual and a biennial in habit and is a member of the Boraginaceae family. It is planted in early spring or in the autumn and takes from 100 – 150 days to reach maturity. The plant grows to a height of more than 60cm and has multiple flowering points. Each flower can produce four seeds which are held tightly in the plant until harvest. Seeds contain approximately 20% oil, of which approximately 20% is stearidonic acid (SDA) and 5% is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), in addition to other beneficial fatty acids.
Nature’s Crops International manages the commercial crop production of Ahiflower® through contracts with our growers in North America and Europe. The oil is processed to demanding standards to comply with NCI’s proprietary Crop Assured 365® system of quality control and traceability protocols.
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