Sunflower seeds are a unique food, rich in many types of essential, and sometimes hard to get, nutrients. In fact, sunflower seeds make my Top 10 List for foods rich in Vitamin E, copper, B Vitamins like thiamine, phosphorus, selenium, and more.
Sunflower seeds, like nearly all types of nuts and seeds, provide a healthy source of essential fatty acids; their specific fatty acids are in the form of linoleic acid. Additionally, sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of fiber, amino acids (especially tryptophan) which make up the building blocks of proteins, B Vitamins, phytosterols, and more.Sunflower closeup
Although as a culture we have been led to believe that consuming fat can lead to unwanted weight gain, the opposite is in fact true; consuming healthy fats actually leads to a healthy cardiovascular system, a stable healthy body weight, and reduced levels of body-wide inflammation.
A ΒΌ cup serving of sunflower seeds provides (in value recommended values): 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber
82% of Vitamin E
70% DV of copper
43% Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
34% of manganese
34% of selenium
33% of phosphorus
28% of magnesium
28% of Vitamin B6
20% of folate
18% of Vitamin B3