What are the health benefits of sunflower seeds?

youtube.com/watch?v=8dvI0U6pR-A Sunflower seeds provide a great deal of health benefits, from vitamins and minerals, to lowering the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. The following is a chart of the daily values of a quarter of a cup of sunflower seeds, basically a handful. whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&... flickr.com/photos/47862290@N06/438666617... As you can see sunflower seeds provide a great number of vitamins and minerals, while being relatively low in calories.

The chart show 7 different nutrients that are over 30% daily value, just from a handful of sunflower seeds. With 90.5% of your Vitamin E, which is the body's primary fat-soluble anti-oxidant. Vitamin E is also a great anti-inflammatory, which has been shown to reduction the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, help decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women going through menopause, and help reduce the development of diabetic complications.

But wait, there's more! The Phytosterols raysahelian.com/phytosterols.html that are present in sunflower seeds, have a similar chemical makeup to cholesterol and are believed to lower cholesterol when sufficient amounts are present in a diet.

whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&... Sunflower seeds can also have a calming effect on you, due to high levels of tryptophan. This effectively increases your brain's production of serotonin, which reduces tension, creating a calming effect. http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/health-benefits-of-eating-sunflower-seeds-531254.html

Sunflower are also a great source of protein and carbs, making them the perfect snack for any athlete or anyone who regularly hit the gym.

Protein and carbohydrates are very important in maintaining high enery levels while working out or competing. Sunflower seeds also the effect of causing your liver to release glycogen,a form of sugar, into the bloodstream, which provides an extra boost of energy.

So go out and get yourself a healthy bag of sunflower seeds, one of the most healthy, good tasting, snacks out there.

Sunflowers may be one of the first foods grown in North America over 8,000 years ago. They're high in amino acids and were then and now grown for their food value. Some Native Americans, such as the Cherokees, had a time of year during which game was scarce but stored sunflower seeds were available.

The oil and protein content of sunflower seeds were essential during those times. Native Americans used sunflower oil to remove warts and use on skin infections. Sunflowers were taken to Europe along with many other native North American Foods, where Russian scientists bred them to increase their oil content.

Russian Mennonites brought them back to the U.S. in the 1830s and helped make them popular as a food crop. Sunflower seeds may have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. They have a relatively high amount of vitamin E, which is dependent on the fat content.

Because of vitamin E's interdependence as catalysts upon vitamins A and C, that makes it valuable for that characteristic alone. The tocopherol content of the vitamin E in sunflower seeds may help cardiovascular health. Sunflower seeds also are high in lignan, which may have effects on cholesterol levels, and triglycerides.

The betaine in sunflower seeds is another compound which some studies show as having cardiovascular benefits. Arginine is yet another part of sunflower seeds that have been shown to improve cardiovascular health. In addition, sunflower seeds may have anti-cancer properties.

Lignans can act as anti-oxidants. Vitamin E catalyzes many vitamins, and together with them has anti-oxidant benefits, which many studies show to help improve the immune system. Linoleic acid is one of the major fatty acids in sunflower seeds, and is known to have anti-cancer properties.

Sunflower seeds are also high in choline, which is essential for proper brain function. Oleic acid is a major part of the fat content of sunflower seeds, and has been shown to increase memory function. However, overconsumption of oleic acid has been shown in at least one study to possibly contribute to breast cancer rates in post-menopausal women, and prostate cancer in older men.

There are actually better seeds out there to add to your foods if you want to improve your overall health or lower your cholesterol (flax seeds are king), but no other natural snack readily available on the market, is quite as close to meeting our cravings for potato chips and other comfort foods. If you are a vegetarian, sunflowers provide a good source of necessary protein. And like peanuts are rich sources of arginine, which helps fix problems with an ability to stay erect ('penile hypotumescence').

It is also useful in evening out hormone problems for women. Post-menapausal women given a steady supplement of sunflower seeds are also said to suffer fewer effects of this transition time, suffering less hot flashes for example. In terms of indirect health benefits, there seems to be a fair amount of debate about whether feeding dairy cows sunflower seeds can increase the milk supply naturally and then add health benefits to the milk for the consumers.

Seems like a good natural solution to the hormone debate. When compared to blueberries, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts (according to the USDA), sunflower seeds have the highest levels of folate (folic acid) which is especially essential for pregnant women, highest also in vitamin E (great for skin, burns and is an immune booster), Selenium (an antioxidant), Iron (produces hemoglobin/essential for healthy blood), and Zinc- used for hormone regulation and some attribute it to boosting the labido or sexual drive too. There are many further benefits of sunflower seeds including improving your eyesight, fixing constipation problems, fighting ulcers, and improving energy among others.

Some people, especially those dieting, avoid sunflower seeds because they are high in calories and fat- but it is important to remember that this is good fat that is full of useful stuff your body can put to good use right away. If however you are dieting or have high blood pressure, it is best to avoid the salted versions of course.

1. One of nature’s wonderful and abundant gift is the beautiful sunflower. It is a plant that has yellow petals which emanates from its bright yellow, and a core which contains its seeds.

We call this flower “sunflower� And has a latin scientific name “Helianthus annuus. €?

The sunflower has a grayish-green black seeds that are enclosed in black shells that are oftentimes has black and white strips. The sunflower seeds are rich in oil particularly polyunsaturated oil whiled shelled sunflower seeds are edible and taste nutty and firm and has a tender texture. Aside from the rich oil that the seeds produce it is also a healthy type of snack which not only cures your hunger pangs but enhances your health by providing you with large amounts of Vitamin E, magnesium and selenium.

Sunflower seeds contain Vitamin E which is a type of an antioxidant and helps our body dissolve low density lipoproteins or LDL, which we commonly call “bad cholesterol. €? Vitamin E is very important for it will helps the body neutralize free radicals that could potentially damage body structures like the cell membranes, and brain cells.By protecting the body cells it can significantly reduce inflammation and reduce the symptoms felt by people who suffer from asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Studies also showed that Vitamin E can reduce the risk for colon cancer, decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes felt by women who are in their menopausal stage, and reduce development of diabetic complications. The sunflower seeds contain “phytosterols� , compounds that are found in plants that are believed to reduce the levels of high cholesterol in the blood.

Aside from this, it boosts the immune system and decrease risk of certain cancers. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food chemistry, sunflower seed and pistachios seeds contains the highest levels of phytosterols which is 270-289 mg/100 g. Sunflower seeds are also rich in Magnesium the helps reduce symptoms of asthma, lower high blood pressure, prevent migraine headaches and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.It also helps the body maintain a healthy bone and produce energy.

In fact, one-third of magnesium can be found in the human bones. Magnesium also help regulate nerve and muscle tone for it helps to maintain the normal level of calcium and acts as Nature’s calcium channel blocker. Because it block’s calcium’s entry it helps the nerves relaxed.

Selenium, a trace mineral can be found in sunflower seed. According to some collaborative studies, selenium has been shown to initiate DNA repair and synthesize damage cells to prevent cancer cells from proliferating. Moreover, selenium together with many proteins protects the body from cancer.

Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=57#descr 2. Research and studies done about sunflower seeds: ---quote-- With the aim of improving the nutritive value of an important grain legume crop, a chimeric gene specifying seed-specific expression of a sulfur-rich, sunflower seed albumin was stably transformed into narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.). Sunflower seed albumin accounted for 5% of extractable seed protein in a line containing a single tandem insertion of the transferred DNA.

---end of quote-- source: http://www.pnas.org/content/94/16/8393.abstract ---quote--- The variability of seed tocopherol content in wild sunflower species, the expressivity of tph1 and tph2 mutations in different lines and the oxidative stability of sunflower oil with altered tocopherol and fatty acid composition were objectives of this research. ---end of quote--- source: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3061329 3. I haven't found any historical basis for its health benefits.

4. I found these youtube video helpful because this serves as a guide on how to process sunflower seeds and make it a healthy ingredient in a recipe.

Sunflowers have been a staple of diets for about 8000 years, or so some archaeologists believe. Based on studies, they found that Native Americans used sunflowers for a number of purposes. They used the seeds as dietary supplements either eating whole or grinding into a fine meal, the petals were used for dyes, the oil for medicinal purposes for treating snake bites, worts, and heatstroke.

The hulls were brewed in a tea like beverage. The stalks were used as building materials. Today, with all of the modern technologies available, researchers are coming to the same conclusion as the Native Americans, sunflowers are good for you.In a study by Dr. K.

Phillips of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University which was completed in 2001, he found that the sunflower kernel is full of protein, fiber, minerals, Vitamin E, and antioxidants and anticarcinogens. They are catagorized as a "functional" food, which means that not only do they provide nutritional value, they may also have preventative qualities against heart disease and some cancers (phytochemicals). They contain lignans which may prevent some cancers, choline which promotes healthy mental alertness, as well as phytosterols which lower cholesterol.

sunflowernsa.com/health/default.asp?cont... But ingesting sunflower seeds isn't the only way to benefit from these versatile, beautiful flowers. Sunflowers have many other health benefits. Sunflowers were used following the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident in 1986 to clean up the contaminated water.

The extensive root system of the sunflowers removed 95% of the radioactivity from the water. The roots absorb minerals from the earth, including uranium. http://www.cyberspaceag.com/kansascrops/sunflowers/sunflowertrivia.htm In 2008, San Francisco State University began a study called "The Great Sunflower Project".

The purpose of the study is to observe the presence of wild pollinators, mainly bumble bees, and calculate whether their numbers are declining particularly in urban areas. They have calculated that the "free" pollinating services provided by bees, birds, and insects are worth approximately 4 to 6 billion dollars per year, and if the system would have to be replaced, it would be a multi-trillion dollar project with no guarantees of success. They asked Americans and Canadians to plant sunflowers in their gardens and log the number of bees that they seen in a 15 minute period every day.

In 2008, 30,000 people participated. The number grew to over 50,000 in 2009, and the study is ongoing. They chose sunflowers because they are easy to grow, they are hardy plants, and add beauty to any garden.

So, although the sunflowers themselves are not the subject of the study, the contributions that they are making to ensure future ecosystem balance is invaluable. http://www.greatsunflower.org/en/about-project Sunflowers are also being used for Biodiesel fuels. The fuel produced from the sunflowers burns cleaner than regular petroleum products, it can be used alone or mixed with petroleum, and there is no need for engine modification.

A by-product of the sunflower biodiesel fuel is glycerin, which is used in a number of products like soap. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/machine/ae1240w.htm As recently as Jan.22, 2010, a $10.5 million research project was announced that will be attempting to map the DNA sequence of sunflowers in order to produce a hybred plant whose seeds would be tasty, and the stalks would produce complex sugars that could be changed into ethanol. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/25/sunflower-dna-map-fuel-an_n_435373.html So again, this plant continues to provide health benefits by alleviating problems caused by fossil fuels.

However, there were times that the sunflowers were fatal for people. In a book by Joe Pappalardo simply titled "Sunflowers" he contends that one of the main reasons (pre-world war 2) was to take control of Stalin's sunflowers which were a crucial source of cooking oil and food. They used the sunflowers as a propaganda tool telling the German's that the sunflowers were vital to the good of the German people during their severe food shortage.

Pappalardo also states that Osama Bin Laden was able to establish his fledgling Al-Qaeda in the Sudan under the guise of a sunflower-oil production facility. http://www.amazon.com/Sunflowers-Joe-Pappalardo/dp/1585679917 Combining the vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants, cancer preventatives, fuel, ecosystem protector, and its wonderful taste, the sunflower stands tall, (some up to 15 feet tall) in a class of its own.

Sunflower seeds are not just for bird seed anymore. Those little seeds are mega health packed in a tiny packaqe. A handful a day of sunflower nutrition includes such health benefits as lower cholesterol, cancer fighter, improved immune health and with its high "good" oil content, give you a shiny, healthy coat.

The mega seed is packed with the powerful antioxidant vitamin E and Thiamin and has something called phytosterols, which is chemically similiar to cholesterol, but just different enough to sweep gross cholesterol away. For the full scientific details click on the story here or check out the Healthiest Foods website.

The Sunflower Seed Besides the beauty a sunflower can bring to your backyard, it is filled with nutritional value for a high energy life style. The sunflower seed is a grayish - green or black seed that is surrounded by a tear dropped shaped gray or black shell that often has black and white stripes and large yellow petals. While Sunflower Seeds are packed with Vitamin E they are also a great source of Magnesium and Selenium.

The Sunflower seed is an excellant soure of Vitamin E which protects against Cardio Vascular Disease, reduces inflamation effects that resaults in a revolution of symptoms in patients that experience Asthma, Osteoartheritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is also a excellant source for reducing Hot Flases during Menopause stages. Sunflower seeds and the oil that it contains have monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in which protects our heart against diseases.It lowers our cholestrol, low density Lipoprotein (LDL) or Bad Cholesterol and Triglycerides, while controlling high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholestrol that is needed to carry the "bad" cholestrol away.

A 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds a day contains 90% of daily requirement of Vitamin E. The sunflower seed also has an over abundance of Magnesium. This vitamin helps reduce prevents Migraine Headaches, reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes , promotes Healthy Bones, and produces high Energy.

Magnisium also is a great source for relaxing our nervous system , muscle spasms (including the heart muscle), cramps and fatigue. Selenium another excellant source of vitamins found in the sunflower seed works along the side of Vitamin E as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage that might lead to cancer, and heart disease.It also improves your Immune system making it possible for your body to fight off unwanted health problems. While the sunflower has these three main vitamins it also contains sources such as; Betaine for cardio vascular protection, Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid).

Choline improves memory and Cognitive Function.. Arginine, Healthy Heart benefits. Lignans Heart Disease and some cancers, lowers LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides. Zinc known for keeping your immune system strong.

Iron carrying oxygen from your lungs to your body and body cells. Fiber lowers blood cholestrol , manage blood glucos and prevents Constipation. Protein is also found in the sunflower seed that helps build, maintain and repair body tissues.

Copper, helps your body carry oxygen to your red blood cells and produces energy within the cells. Copper is a very vital part of some antioxidants enzymes in which your body protects you from oxidant stress. Folate - a B Vitamin plays a very important role in making new body cells by helping to form the DNA that contain each cells plan for reproduction.

Folate and Vitamin B-12 help form hemoglobin in red blood cells, which allows them to carry large amounts of oxygen. Folate is also a participatant in the removal of homocysteine, anamino acid believed to prevent heart disease, from the blood. The sunflower adds nutritional value to many foods like,crackers, salads,muffins,breads and snack foods.

It is also an excellant source of bird feed. Make your own trail mix with sunflower seeds, peanuts, crunchy cereal or granola and raisins. Enjoy a ton of nutrients when you eat a handful of sunflower seeds at lunch.

Apply grounded sunflower seeds to your meat in place of flour. Sunflowers are now available in the folling floavors, Barbeque, Ranch, Cajan, Sour cream and Onion , Hot and Spicey and Jalapeno. Finally, the sunflower can be purchased at any grocery store in different forms.

It can also be prepared in many different ways. While the sunflower is an excellant source of nutritional value, most people love the taste from the seeds just as they come (shelled and unshelled). http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgreene/395597600/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/selva/7737130/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/programwitch/1224834989.

Main benefits of Sunflowers seeds are: Anti-inflammatory, Cardiovascular Benefits Reduces Cholesterol Promotes Cellular Detoxification Protection against cancers Each 36grams of seeds provide several vitamins as follows: Vitamin E Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Manganese magnesium copper tryptophans selenium phosphorus Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) folate.

There are many health benefits of sunflower seeds. They contain high levels of vitamin E, choline, betaine, and phenolic acids. Vitamin E may protect against cardiovascular disease, lignans may protect against some cancers, and choline has been shown to play a role in memory and cognitive functions.

Sesame seeds, like other nuts and seeds contain lignans. The lignan in sesame seeds called sesamin has displayed amazing antioxidant abilities. It has been shown in research that it inhibits the manufacturing of cholesterol in the liver of rats as well as reduces cholesterol absorption from the diet.

This preliminary research states that sesamin may offer considerable ability to lower total blood cholesterol levels. The ability of sesame seeds to relieve constipation and to remove worms from the intestinal tract is also well known. These little seeds aid digestion, stimulate blood circulation, and benefit the nervous system.

Their high oil content lubricates the intestines and nourishes all the internal viscera. In traditional Chinese medicine, sesame is known to produce yin (body fluid) and can promote lactation (for breast-feeding mothers). Sesame oil also makes terrific massage oil because of its excellent emollient and vitamin E properties, and it is thought to aid in chronic skin diseases and burns.

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