10 Health Benefits of Consuming Sunflower Seeds

Looking for a health-promoting snack? Enjoy a handful of mild nutty tasting sunflower seeds with their firm but tender texture to take care of your hunger and get a wealth of nutrition at the same time.

Sunflower seeds have been used throughout history to enhance energy, and as a medicine as well. As with most seeds, sunflower seeds are best eaten raw they’re higher in nutrition than roasted, and definitely better than salted seeds. For people with blood pressure problems, sunflower seeds (unsalted) are very high in potassium and low in sodium one cup of sunflower seeds contains more than 1,300mg of potassium and only 4mg of sodium.

# Carry the bad cholesterol away

Sunflower seeds contain both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat which are the types of fat who can protect heart. Clinical studies has proven that higher unsaturated fat diets may be preferable even to low-fat diets because they can lower the total cholesterol inside the body. Almost 90% of the fat in sunflower seeds is good, unsaturated fat. High density lipoprotein that contained in sunflower seeds is needed to carry the bad cholesterol or low density lipoprotein away from the body. The phytosterol which are the compounds that naturally found in plants also has a chemical structure whicah can help the body to reduce the blood level cholesterol.

# Reduce the risk of Heart Disease

The healthy unsaturated fats in sunflower seeds not only carry the cholesterol away from the body but it has significance effect to your heart. Sunflower seeds also contain Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may protect body from molecules called free radicals that can lead to several health problems such as atherosclerosis that can cause heart disease. Folate a type of vitamin B also involved in the removal of homocysteine, an amino acid thought to promote heart disease, from the blood. Some clinical studies from Harvard University shows arelevance between higher intakes of folate and lower risk of heart disease.

# Maintain and Repair body tissue

Protein is one powerful macro nutrient which is build every living cell part, every tissue including our organs, muscles, and skin. The protein which is contained in sunflower seeds supplies amino acids that needed in the process of building, maintaining, and repairing body tissues. New research showing that protein is older adults may need protein to optimize their health and protect their lean muscle. Consuming sunflower seeds can put more protein in your daily intake.

# Keeping your skin healthy

As mentioned before that sunflower seeds are excelent source of Vitamin E. The antioxidant of Vitamin E in sunflower seeds do not only protect your heart from disease but also keeping healthy skin. Scientific studies show that Vitamin E or tocopherol has very spesific benefits to skin.

It protects the skin from enviromental pollution, infection, also help the healing of wound on skin and act as moisturizer for keep the skin away from dryness. Research also reported a further benefits of Vitamin E in lowering the skin aging or in other words its an anti aging substance that can make your skin looks younger. Just one ounce of sunflower seeds provides 76% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin E.

# Reduce the risk of Cancer

Selenium in sunflower seeds works with vitamin E as an antioxidant and protects cells from damage that may lead to cancer and other health problems.Although there is no Daily Value for selenium, nutrition scientists recognize its importance to health and a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) has been established. The selenium in one ounce of sunflower seeds provides about 24% of the RDA for men and 31% of the RDA for women.

# Support Tyroid Gland Function

The thyroid gland is one of body part that are responsible in regulating body temperature, the production of protein, heart rate,and controlling the rate of your body metabolism. Selenium is a mineral which contained in sunflower seeds support the function of tyroid gland and fulfil the selenium daily need. Deficiency selenium can lead to several symptom such as weight gain, fatigue, abnormal body temperatures, etc. and can be hard to properly diagnose without a blood or urine test.

# Help our body carry oxygen

Iron and copper are minerals which contained in sunflower seeds Copperhelp your body carry oxygen to red blood cells in every body part and produce energy in the cells.Copper is also an important part of some antioxidant enzymes in the body, those subtances which protect body from oxydative stress.Iron deficiency can lead to anemia,fatigue and infection, and those are more common common among women who experience regular menstrual loss. One ounce of sunflower seeds is a good source of iron, providing 10% of the Daily Value. While Copper deficiency is a rare case but this trace mineral is essential to anenergy-rich life.We can find about 25% of the Daily Value for copper in one ounce of sunflower seeds.

# Initiate the making of new body cell

Folate which contained in sunflower seeds not only plays role in lowering heart disease risk but also plays a vital role inmaking new body cells by helping to form the DNA and RNA that contain each cell’s 'masterplan' for reproduction. This is why consuming folate is soimportant for pregnant women and thedevelopment of infants. Folate usually pairs withvitamin B-12 in effort to help the forming ofhemoglobin in redblood cells,which allows them to carryoptimal amounts of oxygen.

Sunflower seeds are also contain other types of Vitamin such as panthotenic acid, vitamin B6, thiamin and niacin. A one-ounce serving of sunflower seeds contains 20% of the Daily Value for pantothenic acid, 11% for vitamin B6, 6% for thiamin and 6% for niacin. All those Vitamin B are play important role in the process of body metabolism.

# Strengthen immune system

Zincis a mineral that is vital for keeping your immune system strong, fending off infectionsand healing wounds.What makes zync imporatant to immune system? Zinc is key to proper T cell, natural killer function and lymphocyte activity. It can be directly involve in the process of antibody production inside the body which are essential to fight infection. Zinc deficiency usually happen in developing country. By consuming a one-ounce serving of sunflower seeds providing 10% of the Daily Value and need of zinc.

# Promote Healthy Digestion

Vegetable, nuts and seeds are the most health source of fiber so does the sunflower seed. Unlike other food components, fiber is,not digested by your body. Fiber plays important role in your digestive system and promote the grow of good bacteria which act as probiotics. Consuming fiber promotes bowel health and also maintaning normal body weight. Fiber tend to take longer to eat and to be less 'energy dense' which means they has lower calories for the same amount volume of food.