Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are seeds of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). There are three popular varieties of sunflower seeds: linoelic, high oleic, and sunflower oil seed, with the linoleic being the most popular. Sunflower seeds are popularly roasted, or dried and eaten as a snack either plain, salted or mixed with other seeds or nuts. They can also be eaten as part of a meal or used as an ingredient or garnisher in several recipes. Sprouted sunflowers seeds make a good addition in salads. Besides the seeds can also be processed into sunflower butter, making it a great alternative to peanut butter for those suffering with peanut allergies (1).

Sunflower seeds are not just a tasty snack but also nutrient-dense. For instance, a 100g serving provides 47g of total fat, 17g of carbs (with 10g dietary fiber), and 20g protein, giving 550 calories in total. Additionally, they are packed with vitamins E, B1, B6, as well as minerals like phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium, with high daily value percentages for each nutrient (2).

Health benefits

Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, and other phenolic compounds that have bestowed on them many health benefits.

1. Protect the body against oxidative stress. Sunflower seeds contain high levels of vitamin E, which is a potent antioxidant, that captures free radicals (bad atoms) that cause excessive oxidation reactions which eventually cause cell destruction. Free radical damage of cells is implicated in the onset of the development of many diseases like cancer and arthritis amongst others. Vitamin E also plays a crucial role in immune function, vision, and reproduction (3, 4).
2. Enhance heart health. In terms of enhancing heart health, sunflower seeds are particularly beneficial. This is largely due to the presence of vitamin E, which plays a vital role in preventing platelet hyper-aggregation. By reducing the production of prostaglandins like thromboxane that cause platelets to clump together, vitamin E helps to prevent blood clotting in the arteries of the heart. This, in turn, reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases (5).
3. Lower blood pressure. Sunflower seeds have a high magnesium content and magnesium has been proven to have blood pressure lowering activities in many research studies.Magnesium can boost nitric oxide concentrations in the blood, causing the blood vessels to dilate, which eases blood flow (6). Additionally, sunflower seeds contain linoleic acid, a healthier fat than saturated fat, making them a great source of polyunsaturated fat. Consuming linoleic fat-rich seeds like sunflower can have positive health impacts on the body.
4. Antidiabetic effects. The main polyphenolic compound found in sunflower seeds is chlorogenic acid, which is reputed for its blood sugar lowering effect. Chlorogenic acid increases insulin sensitivity, potentiating its action in a similar manner as does the therapeutic medicine, metformin does. It directly inhibits the pathways that cause increase in blood glucose concentrations (9).
5. Promotes good skin. Vitamins E has a great reputation of promoting skin health, the reason it has incorporated in the manufacture of many beauty and skin care products for decades. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities help prevent the oxidative and inflammatory damages of ultraviolet light, thus slowing down the aging process (10).  

Sunflower seeds are nutrient rich seeds that impart great healthy benefits. They are definitely a great addition to the any healthy diet plan. However, consumption should be done with moderation as they are high in calories due to their high fat content and may contain more cadmium (as they them from the soil during cultivation) than other plants (11).

REFERENCES

1. Zoumpoulakis, P., Sinanoglou, V. J., Siapi, E., Heropoulos, G., & Proestos, C. (2017). Evaluating modern techniques for the extraction and characterisation of sunflower (hellianthus annus L.) seeds phenolics. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 6(3), 46. doi:10.3390/antiox6030046
2. FoodData central. (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2022, from Usda.gov website: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/593068/nutrients
3. Vitamin E. (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2022, from Nih.gov website: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
4. Vitamin E. (2020, November 13). Retrieved August 9, 2022, from Mayo Clinic website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-e/art-20364144
5. Rizvi, S., Raza, S. T., Ahmed, F., Ahmad, A., Abbas, S., & Mahdi, F. (2014). The role of vitamin e in human health and some diseases. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 14(2), e157-65.
6. Houston, M. (2011). The role of magnesium in hypertension and cardiovascular disease: Magnesium, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.), 13(11), 843–847. doi:10.1111/j.1751-7176.2011.00538.x
7. Dietary linoleic acid and risk of coronary heart disease. (2014, November 5). Retrieved August 9, 2022, from The Nutrition Source website: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2014/11/05/dietary-linoleic-acid-and-risk-of-coronary-heart-disease/
8. Farvid, M. S., Ding, M., Pan, A., Sun, Q., Chiuve, S. E., Steffen, L. M., … Hu, F. B. (2014). Dietary linoleic acid and risk of coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Circulation, 130(18), 1568–1578. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010236
9. Rehman, A., Saeed, A., Kanwal, R., Ahmad, S., & Changazi, S. H. (2021). Therapeutic effect of sunflower seeds and flax seeds on diabetes. Cureus, 13(8), e17256. doi:10.7759/cureus.17256
10. Nachbar, F., & Korting, H. C. (1995). The role of vitamin E in normal and damaged skin. Journal of Molecular Medicine, 73(1), 7–17. doi:10.1007/bf00203614
11. Reeves, P. G., & Vanderpool, R. A. (1997). Cadmium burden of men and women who report regular consumption of confectionery sunflower kernels containing a natural abundance of cadmium. Environmental Health Perspectives, 105(10), 1098–1104. doi:10.1289/ehp.971051098