Kusumbha Taila (Safflower Oil) in Ayurveda: Properties & Everyday Use

What it is

Kusumbha taila is the fixed oil pressed from the seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L., safflower: a thistle-like annual of the Asteraceae family cultivated across India as an oilseed crop. In Sanskrit the plant is Kusumbha (also called "bastard saffron," since its orange petals are sold as a saffron substitute). The oil is roughly 78% linoleic acid (c9c12-linoleate), the essential omega-6 fatty acid: a composition reported in the trial literature. (Norris et al., 2009, PubMed; TIJER safflower review, 2025)

A CCRAS-style monograph for the Kusumbha fruit (seed) describes its properties as sweet, astringent, bitter, and pungent in taste, unctuous and heavy in quality, heating in potency, and pungent after digestion, with diuretic (mutrala), diaphoretic (svedajanana), and purgative (virecana) actions: describing the seed, not the expressed oil. (CCRAS monographs, via document archive)

Classical properties

• Taste (rasa): pungent (Katu), sweet (Madhura)
• Qualities (guna): sharp (Tikshna), oily (Snigdha)
• Potency (virya): warming (Ushna)
• After digestion (vipaka): pungent (Katu)
• Doshas: traditionally said to settle Vata and Kapha; may increase Pitta

Traditional use

Traditional sources describe kusumbha cautiously rather than as a celebrated oil. A 2025 peer-reviewed review summarizes the folk uses: the seeds are used for their laxative properties and as a source of edible oil, the oil "is believed to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health," and the flowers are used as an emmenagogue to promote menstruation. (TIJER safflower review, 2025)

In Ayurvedic materia medica, kusumbha is listed in Bhavaprakasha Nighantu and Dhanvantari Nighantu classifications, and "Kusumbha taila" appears among the classical taila (oil) formulations: but the oil's classical reputation is mixed, with some texts counting it among the less wholesome (apathya) oils rather than prized ones like sesame. This traditional caution sits in tension with the modern trial data below; neither cancels the other. (Traditional use is described here as tradition, not as proof of effect.)

What research has looked at

Body composition and fasting glucose (RCT)

Norris, Whitman, and Belury (2009) ran a 36-week randomized, double-masked, crossover trial in 55 obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, comparing safflower oil (SAF) with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) across two 16-week diet periods; 35 women completed it. Safflower oil had no effect on BMI or total adipose mass, but it reduced trunk adipose mass (P = 0.0422) and increased lean mass (P = 0.0432), significantly lowered fasting glucose (P = 0.0343), and increased adiponectin (P = 0.0051), a hormone involved in fat metabolism. The authors concluded the oils "may be beneficial for weight loss, glycemic control, or both." This is a real RCT: but a small one, in one specific population, with safflower oil as a dietary supplement rather than an Ayurvedic preparation. (PubMed 19535429)

HbA1c, inflammation, and blood lipids over time (RCT, same trial)

A follow-up analysis of the same trial (Asp et al., 2011, Clinical Nutrition) applied time-to-effect testing: safflower oil decreased HbA1c by 0.64 ± 0.18% (p = 0.0007) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.0472), improved insulin sensitivity measured by QUICKI (p = 0.0146), and increased HDL cholesterol by 0.12 ± 0.05 mmol/L (p = 0.0228): with effects first detectable at 12–16 weeks. The authors concluded that small changes in dietary fat quality may augment diabetes treatments. Again, this is one small trial's secondary analysis, not a basis for treatment claims. (ScienceDirect)

A cautionary lipid finding (animal study)

Not all the data points the same way. Santana and colleagues (2017, Int. J. Cardiovascular Sciences) tested safflower oil in Wistar rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome: the safflower-oil-supplemented group showed increased total cholesterol (p < 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001) compared with soybean oil, leading the authors to conclude the oil "can cause possible deleterious effects on the lipid profile" under those experimental conditions. This is an animal model, not human evidence: but it means the human lipid story is unresolved and anyone with high cholesterol should be cautious. (IJCS / SciELO)

The bottom line on evidence

Two small randomized trials in one narrow population (postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes) show modest metabolic signals over 16 weeks. One animal study raises a lipid caution; and no trials of kusumbha taila as an Ayurvedic preparation exist. The evidence is genuinely mixed: promising signals, not proof.

Safety notes

• A note on cholesterol. Safflower oil raised total and LDL cholesterol in metabolic-syndrome rats; human lipid effects are unconfirmed either way. People with high cholesterol or on lipid-lowering medicines may want to discuss use with their clinician. (IJCS / SciELO)
• During pregnancy. The safflower flowers are traditionally used as an emmenagogue (menstruation-promoting); there are no pregnancy safety data for the oil itself. Given the flower data, medicinal-amount use in pregnancy is best avoided unless supervised. (TIJER safflower review, 2025)
• With diabetes medication. The trials showed glucose-lowering signals at supplement amounts; anyone on diabetes medicines is best served by monitoring and consulting their clinician, since combined effects are unstudied.
• General. Safflower oil is a widely consumed cooking oil with a long food-use history, but kusumbha taila as a medicinal preparation has no dedicated safety studies: safety data is limited, so talk to a clinician before medicinal use.

FAQs

What is kusumbha taila?

Kusumbha taila is the oil pressed from safflower seeds (Carthamus tinctorius). It is about 78% linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, and is widely used as a cooking oil. In Ayurveda, kusumbha appears in classical oil formulations, though traditional texts are cautious about it compared with oils like sesame. (Norris et al., 2009; TIJER safflower review, 2025)

Does safflower oil lower cholesterol?

The evidence is mixed and incomplete. In a rat model of metabolic syndrome, safflower oil supplementation actually increased total and LDL cholesterol versus soybean oil. The human trials measured HDL (which rose modestly) but were not designed as cholesterol-lowering trials. There is no solid basis for calling it cholesterol-lowering. (IJCS / SciELO; ScienceDirect)

Is safflower oil good for diabetes?

Two small randomized trials found that safflower oil taken for 16 weeks reduced trunk fat, fasting glucose, and HbA1c (by 0.64%) in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. These are encouraging but narrow findings from one trial program: not proof that safflower oil treats diabetes, and not tested in other populations. (PubMed 19535429; ScienceDirect)

How much safflower oil was used in the studies?

Swastik does not suggest amounts. The right amount depends on the person, the preparation and the product, so check with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or your doctor before taking any herb.

Is kusumbha the same as saffron?

No. Kusumbha is safflower (Carthamus tinctorius); its orange petals are sometimes sold as "bastard saffron," but true saffron (kumkuma) comes from Crocus sativus stigmas. They are different plants with different properties, uses, and prices: do not substitute one for the other. (TIJER safflower review, 2025)

Is kusumbha taila safe in pregnancy?

No safety data for the oil in pregnancy was found, and the safflower flowers are traditionally used as an emmenagogue to promote menstruation. Until oil-specific data exists, medicinal-dose use in pregnancy should be avoided unless a qualified clinician advises otherwise. (TIJER safflower review, 2025)

Sources

Tier 1 — peer-reviewed journals, pharmacopoeial compilations

• Norris L.E. et al. (2009). Comparison of dietary conjugated linoleic acid with safflower oil on body composition in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 90:468–476. PubMed
• Asp M.L. et al. (2011). Time-dependent effects of safflower oil to improve glycemia, inflammation and blood lipids in obese, post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-masked, crossover study. Clin. Nutr. ScienceDirect
• Santana L.F. et al. (2017). Safflower oil (Carthamus tinctorius L.) intake increases total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome. Int. J. Cardiovascular Sciences, 30(6):476–483. Full text
• Carthamus tinctorius: a plant of the world: botanical description, traditional uses, constituents. TIJER, 2025. PDF
• Kusumbha (fruit) monograph: CCRAS monographs: constituents, properties and action, therapeutic uses. Document archive

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner before using any Ayurvedic preparation, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, managing cholesterol or diabetes, or taking prescription medicines.