Sunflower seeds are a unique food, rich in many types of essential, and sometimes hard to get, nutrients. In fact, sunflower seeds make my Top 10 List for foods rich in Vitamin E, copper, B Vitamins like thiamine, phosphorus, selenium, and more.
Sunflower seeds, like nearly all types of nuts and seeds, provide a healthy source of essential fatty acids; their specific fatty acids are in the form of linoleic acid. Additionally, sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of fiber, amino acids (especially tryptophan) which make up the building blocks of proteins, B Vitamins, phytosterols, and more.Sunflower closeup
Although as a culture we have been led to believe that consuming fat can lead to unwanted weight gain, the opposite is in fact true; consuming healthy fats actually leads to a healthy cardiovascular system, a stable healthy body weight, and reduced levels of body-wide inflammation.
Healthy sources of fats like those found in sunflower seeds are actually the building blocks for cell membranes, allow your body to balance hormones, help to slow down absorption of food during meal time so that we can go longer without feeling hungry, and also act as carriers for important fat- soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
By adding healthy sources of fats into your diet, like the polyunsaturated kind that is found in sunflower seeds, and replacing trans-fats and low-quality easily oxidized fats, you can experience multiple health benefits.