Safflower is a plant. The flower and oil from the seeds are used as medicine.
Safflower seed oil is taken by mouth for diabetes, preventing heart disease, including “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis) and stroke. It is also used to increase hair growth, treat fever, tumors, coughs, breathing problems, clotting conditions, pain, coronary heart disease, chest pain, and traumatic injuries. Some people use it for inducing sweating; and as a laxative, stimulant, antiperspirant, and expectorant to help loosen phlegm.
Women sometimes use safflower oil for absent or painful menstrual periods, or to stimulate menstruation; they use safflower flower to cause an abortion.
Safflower yellow, a component of safflower flower, is injected into the vein for chest pain (angina pectoris) and a type of stroke that is caused by a clot (ischemic stroke).
In foods, safflower seed oil is used as a cooking oil.
In manufacturing, safflower flower is used to color cosmetics and dye fabrics. Safflower seed oil is used as a paint solvent.