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Healthy Diet Plans >>
Therapeutic Value of Different Foods >>
Nuts and Seeds >>
Sunflower Seeds |
Sunflower SeedsSunflower seeds may seem an absurd snack to many. But there is more to these rich-in-nutrients seeds than just sunflower oil. These seeds should become an integral part of modern man’s daily diet especially since many serious ailments have become common nowadays. Derived from the vibrant yellow sunflower, the seeds are teardrop shaped and are either black or gray-green in color. The seeds are encased in black or gray shells that are usually striped.
Don’t be fooled by the slight nutty flavor and tender texture of the sunflower seed; in fact it is most popular as the chief source of polyunsaturated oil. Rich in Vitamin E and B1, sunflower seeds are a must-include in your diet since they help keep away inflammatory as well as cardiovascular diseases. The Vitamin E in sunflower seeds neutralizes the free radicals in the body, thereby fighting ailments such as osteoarthritis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Additionally, the Vitamin E in sunflower seeds does not allow the development of atherosclerosis, and therefore keeps cholesterol under check. What’s more! Menopause-related hot flashes, colon cancer and diabetic complications are other risks that sunflower seeds help in controlling.
Detoxification is perhaps one of sunflower seeds best health benefits. The seeds’ selenium content has proven efficient in stimulating DNA repair, curbing the growth of cancer cells, and subsequent apoptosis, the natural death of old cells for new cells to grow. The selenium is in fact like a protective gear against growth of cancerous cells.
The phytosterols in sunflower seeds also provide protection against a few cancers since their structure is a lot like cholesterol; they cut down cholesterol in the blood levels and thus help increase the body’s immunity towards certain cancers.
In addition, sunflower seeds have significant portions of magnesium, which plays an important role in ensuring healthy bones, enhancing the body’s energy production, decreasing the severity of asthma, inhibiting migraine, lowering high BP, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Magnesium has a calming effect especially when calcium levels increase in the nerves, causing discomfort, spasms, headaches, cramps, anxiety and exhaustion.
Including sunflower seeds in the daily diet is a child’s play. It can be added to salads (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), sprinkled on cereals or meats, or even simply incorporated in egg meals! It is as simple as that. Don’t worry about the taste; it only enhances the flavor of the food you add it to. Thankfully, sunflower seeds are not allergenic and hence are totally safe with other food products.
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| Submitted on February 24, 2009 |
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