They might be small but don’t judge them by their appearance—sunflower seeds are a packed with nutrients. Little wonder then that these seeds have become the power food for every fitness enthusiast in town. Here’s why you should include them in your diet too…
 

Elevates your mood

Elevates your mood

Sunflower seeds are rich in magnesium, which plays a huge role in the development of serotonin—the hormone that’s linked to happiness. Because it has the power to regulate emotions, it is a known ingredient in homeopathy for elevating moods.

 

Prevents cancer

Prevents cancer

Sunflower seeds are also huge sources of vitamin E, selenium as well as copper—all of which have antioxidant properties. Studies suggest that these antioxidants have the power to prevent cellular damage that can lead to cancer. A regular intake of sunflower seeds means that these nutrients will be able to protect your body and suppress the cellular damage.

 

Helps in digestion

Helps in digestion

It is recommended that one has at least 30 gms of fiber per day. Fiber promotes easy digestion and helps in eliminating waste from the body. This means a regular intake of sunflower seeds that contains a good amount of fiber can help you de-bloat and better your metabolism.

Keeps your heart healthy

Sunflower seeds keep you away from cardiovascular diseases since it contains two nutrients, vitamin E and folate both of which lower the risk of heart problems. Folate metabolises homocysteine, which causes cardiovascular diseases and turns it into methionine—an important amino acid.

Here’s a recipe you can try with sunflower seeds…

Apple and sunflower seed salad

What you need: 2 washed, cored and cubed apples, ½ cup sunflower seeds, 1 head chopped romaine lettuce, 2 diced dill pickles, 2 diced tomatoes and ½ cup ranch salad dressing.

Preparation: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add the dressing on top. Shake it up a little bit so the dressing settles in. Enjoy!

You can buy sunflower seeds from Godrej Nature’s Basket for ₹130

You can buy dill pickles from LuckyVitamin for ₹389

You can buy the ranch dressing from Godrej Nature’s Basket for ₹250