Sunflower seeds - Nature Cures®

Also known as Helianthus annuus

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It is what sunflowers do” Helen Keller

The sunflower’s name comes from the Greek ‘helios’, meaning sun and ‘anthos’, meaning “flower” and ‘annus’ meaning annual was from Linnaeus, as it was the only flowering plant known to him that lived for a single season.

Sunflowers are very easy and enjoyable to grow but need plenty of sunshine and water as they are vigorous plants and some species can grow up to a height of ten or twelve feet. The large heads provide hundreds of nutritious seeds, and the flowers are very attractive to bees.

There are powerful components in sunflower oil and the seeds that can reduce cholesterol and protect against heart disease. They can also slow down the aging process and help to fight off infections and inflammatory skin diseases.

The seeds of the sunflower, similar to pumpkin seeds, are very rich sources of many essential nutrients and will often be found at the top of the lists of ‘Highest sources of their particular nutrients’ on this website. This means they can help with many other health issues listed on the individual nutrients pages and re a good choice for athletes.

See Sports nutrition.

Sunflower seeds are an ideal food for people that drink a lot of alcohol as they can replace the B vitamins and minerals lost. They are also good for the elderly , growing children, adolescents, vegans and pregnant women. and anyone feeling rundown or lacking energy as they are a rich source of protein. 100 g of sunflowers seeds provides 21 mg of protein.

NOTE: Sunflower seeds should always be consumed with foods rich in vitamin C as they are rich in vitamin E and these two nutrients need to be balanced. This is because vitamin C increases iron uptake, which vitamin E inhibits and vitamin C lowers manganese and zinc, while vitamin E helps increase manganese and zinc absorption. As a result, consuming foods rich in vitamin E, such as sunflowers, requires an equal consumption of foods rich in vitamin C to maintain the same ratio.

Significant nutrients in sunflower seeds

Copper
Magnesium
Manganese
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
Phosphorous
Potassium
Protein
Selenium
Vitamin B1
Vitamin, B3
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B9
Vitamin E
Zinc

Ailments sunflower seeds can help to prevent and treat

Alzheimer’ s disease
Bacterial infections
Fungal and yeast infections
Hair and nail disorders
Heart disorders
High cholesterol
Injuries, surgery and infections
Mental health disorders
Skin and tissue disorders

NOTE: A small handful of sunflower seeds every day, added to sandwiches, in salads and on vegetables are a good way to ensure the body is getting the minerals and vitamins mentioned above in order to function well and recover from many health issues.

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