Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds offer many advantages to farmers and consumers alike. Farmers generally see an economical return on sunflowers due to the low cost of growing them. Sunflower seeds can also be used to feed animals such as poultry, domestic mammals and fish. They are also an excellent food source for high-quality oil production. Consumer benefits are plentiful with the almost endless ways that these tiny seeds can be used in baking and cooking.

Sunflower seeds are an edible seed, in the flower family Asteraceae. The term usually refers to the seed of the sunflower plant, Helianthus annuus, but it can refer to the seed of any species in the genus Helianthus. The sunflower seed is often eaten as a snack. They may be sold as in-shell seeds or dehulled kernels. The seeds may also be sprouted and eaten in salads. When in-shell seeds are processed, they are first dried. Afterwards, they may also be roasted or dusted with salt or flour for preservation of flavor. Sunflower seeds can be consumed raw, roasted or salted. The kernels can also be used to make sunflower butter. In addition to the benefits of eating sunflower seeds, you can also get health benefits from using sunflower oil for cooking and sunflower oil for your skin.

Here are just some of the health benefits of eating sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds have high nutritional value, and are rich in Vitamin E, copper and Vitamin B6. They also contain many other vitamins that are beneficial to your overall health. Sunflower seeds are a great source of protein and healthy fats. The unsaturated fats help fight cholesterol and can lower your risk of heart disease. They’re also a good source of fiber and minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Sunflower seeds are also high in selenium, which is an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. (Free radicals can cause diseases like cancer.)