Organic Sunflower

“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates

Sunflower seeds have been planted by Native Americans for more than five thousand years. This year we planted a few sunflowers around our no till vegetable garden and they added much beauty. Apparently they were not the kind of sunflower seed that birds like, so when fully ripe I picked them and roasted them for our own healthy snack. I personally love to pick them fresh from the flower. That reminds me of my childhood in Iran when we went to villages in early fall and treated ourselves with fresh sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds have a lot of nutritional value such as vitamins E and B and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium. Therefore it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities that can help in cases like arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, heart attack, and stroke. It reduces blood cholesterol and the risk of some cancers and increases immunity. That is because it has a beneficial kind of plant cholesterol called phytosterol, which competes and replaces bad cholesterol. This compound is also abundant in sesame seed, pumpkin seed and pistachios. I use all of these seeds and nuts in my baking, especially in bread. They are also good in salad and granola. Magnesium in sunflower seeds helps to reduce blood pressure and produce healthy bone and increase energy level. The antioxidants in sunflower seeds detoxify the body from harmful toxins. Because they are one of the main sources for producing polyunsaturated oil in many countries, healthful minded people prefer to cook their food with sunflower oil. Happy cooking sunshines! 🙂

“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii