People are always searching for a healthy and beneficial snack that is good tasting and easy to add to your lifestyle. Often, this search leads us to try some truly strange foods, not all of which are really that tasty. But many would be surprised to know that one of the best and healthiest food we can eat are also some of the easiest to find and best tasting. What are these mystery foods you may ask? Well one of the best examples can be found hiding in sunflower seeds.
That’s right, those tasty sunflower seeds that you may already eat for time to time are also hidden treasures for your health. Sunflower seeds have a very high amount of natural oil, making them an excellent source of polyunsaturated oil.
However, did you know that only a quarter cup of sunflower seeds can provide 90.5% of the Vitamin E that you need in a day? And that that same cup of sunflower seeds also provides 54.7% of the B1 that doctors recommend on a daily basis?
Vitamin E is an incredibly import part of our diets, and it is one that is often forgotten about. The vitamin travels throughout the body and eliminates elements, which may act to damage good cholesterol, cell membranes and even brain cells! Vitamin E is an excellent agent to reduce inflammation in joints, and research points out that it may reduce the symptoms of a variety of diseases and disorders, such as asthma and various forms of arthritis. In fact, Vitamin E can even help to reduce your risk of colon cancer! Some doctors also recommend Vitamin E in order to help with complications with may result from diabetes. Vitamin E is a also a powerful and important source of anti-oxidants, which can help reduce the risk for a large numbers of cancers, and can even help in treating cardiovascular diseases.
That same quarter cup of sunflower seeds also gives you roughly 32% of the magnesium that is recommended daily. For any that are unaware, magnesium can reduce the severity of headaches, lower blood pressure and even keep our nerve relaxed. Thus, sunflower seeds can even help to live our lives a little more stress free. Few food can attest to that claim!
Although not scientifically proven, many feel that the seeds can also help with constipation, shingles, depression and are beneficial for couple who are trying to get pregnant. Really, sunflower seeds have an almost uncountable amount of health benefits, which is especially amazing in a food that is both cheap and good tasting at the same time.
Another one of the great things about sunflower seeds is the variety of ways in which in they can be eaten. One can purchase sunflower seeds either shelled or unshelled, and in a variety of flavors if one wishes to do so. Remember that when purchasing unshelled seeds directly out of a bin to make sure that the bin is covered and the seeds do not appear old or “limp” in appearance. The seeds should never be yellow in color, as this indicates that the seeds may have spoiled.
One does not even have to eat the seeds raw or unflavored, as sunflower seeds are an easy additive to a number of recipes, allowing one to get the health benefits without have to eat the seeds raw. For example, trying sprinkling some crushed sunflower seeds over scrambled eggs. Or remember that the seeds make a great additive to any salad, or even a bowl of cereal. Experimenting is key with sunflower seeds, their simple but distinct flavor makes them an excellent choice to add to almost any recipe, and the results are almost never disappointing.
So, on your next trip to the grocery store, or your next quest to find a healthy food, remember the simple goodness and excellent health benefits that sunflower seeds can provide.
