Sunflower Benefits

 Health benefits of sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants like vitamin E, healthy fats, B vitamins, and copper and other minerals. They contain nutrients that fight cancer, lower your risk of heart disease, balance blood sugar, support thyroid health and lower inflammation.

Here are the top five benefits of eating sunflower seeds.

1. Provides anti-cancer nutrients

You can help prevent many cancers through healthy lifestyle choices. Eating nutrient-dense foods is one of the most important steps you can take to lower your cancer risk.

Sunflower seeds are a rich source of antioxidants such as vitamin E and flavonoids. “Antioxidants prevent free radical damage that can lead to cancerous changes in your cells,” notes Culbertson.

2. Promotes a healthy heart

The vitamin E in sunflower seeds isn’t just a cancer fighter. It also helps reduce inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease. In addition, studies show it lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides.

“Sunflower seeds contain compounds called phytosterols,” shares Culbertson. “They prevent your body from absorbing additional cholesterol, providing yet another way to keep your cholesterol numbers in a healthy range.”

3. Supports thyroid health

“Thyroid disorders are very common,” says Culbertson. “And they can really wreak havoc on your life and well-being.”

Your thyroid plays a role in several functions in your body, including:

  • Bone maintenance.
  • Cell growth.
  • Digestion.
  • Heart function.
  • Metabolism.

Getting enough iodine and selenium is critical for thyroid health. A cup of hull-on sunflower seeds provides about 24 micrograms of selenium, about 35% of what you need in a day.

4. Fights inflammation

“Inflammation” is a word that gets tossed around a lot, and for good reason. The link between chronic inflammation and serious diseases is well known. It’s a risk factor for conditions such as:

Eating sunflower seeds regularly may be an easy way to lower inflammation, measured as the level of C-reactive protein in your blood.

5. Prevents muscle cramps

Sunflower seeds are rich in several essential minerals. Two of them, magnesium and pantothenic acid, are great for keeping muscle cramps away.

“A deficiency in magnesium or pantothenic acid can lead to muscle cramps and spasms,” says Culbertson. “However, it’s important to note that a deficiency in pantothenic acid is very rare, and usually only happens with severe malnutrition or a rare inherited metabolic disorder. But 1 cup of sunflower seeds with shells provides 150 milligrams of magnesium and half a milligram of pantothenic acid. That’s 37% of your daily magnesium requirement and 5% of your daily pantothenic acid requirement.”

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