Eating Sunflower Seeds For Health
The following information is gleaned
from; http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch511.html
Sunflower seeds are native to North and South America.
Sunflowers were exported to Europe where they found
favor with Russia, where developed disease resistant
strains and exported around the world.
Did you ever wonder how it is that
sunflower heads are so large? The answer is simple.
During the cultivation of sunflowers for 4000 years, the
biggest and best heads were used for seed, selectively
developing the species to the state that we know it to
be. Russia regards the sunflower to be their national
flower. Iowa considers the sunflower to be a weed. Such
is the dichotomy that surrounds the sunflower.
Two types of sunflowers are grown in the United States ,
those grown for their seeds and those grown for
production of oil. A Russian horticulturist developed a
sunflower whose seeds are half oil.
The pithy residue of the sunflower head after the seeds
are removed is lighter than cork and is used to make
life jackets.
Raw sunflower kernels are more nutritious than when they
are roasted. Sunflower sprouts are very nutritious.
Sunflower petals are poisonous, so don’t use them as
food or as a decoration near food.
(R.B.)
Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried,
1/4 cup
| Nutrient
|
Units
|
.25 X 1 cup
-------
36g
|
| Proximates
|
| Water
|
g
|
1.93
|
| Energy
|
kcal
|
205
|
| Energy
|
kj
|
859
|
| Protein
|
g
|
8.20
|
| Total lipid (fat)
|
g
|
17.85
|
| Ash
|
g
|
1.27
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference
|
g
|
6.75
|
| Fiber, total dietary
|
g
|
3.8
|
| Sugars, total
|
g
|
0.94
|
| Minerals
|
| Calcium, Ca
|
mg
|
42
|
| Iron, Fe
|
mg
|
2.44
|
| Magnesium, Mg
|
mg
|
127
|
| Phosphorus, P
|
mg
|
254
|
| Potassium, K
|
mg
|
248
|
| Sodium, Na
|
mg
|
1
|
| Zinc, Zn
|
mg
|
1.82
|
| Copper, Cu
|
mg
|
0.631
|
| Manganese, Mn
|
mg
|
0.727
|
| Selenium, Se
|
mcg
|
21.4
|
| Vitamins
|
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid
|
mg
|
0.5
|
| Thiamin
|
mg
|
0.824
|
| Riboflavin
|
mg
|
0.090
|
| Niacin
|
mg
|
1.620
|
| Pantothenic acid
|
mg
|
2.428
|
| Vitamin B-6
|
mg
|
0.277
|
| Folate, total
|
mcg
|
82
|
| Folic acid
|
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food
|
mcg
|
82
|
| Folate, DFE
|
mcg_DFE
|
82
|
| Vitamin B-12
|
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin B-12, added
|
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU
|
IU
|
18
|
| Vitamin A, RAE
|
mcg_RAE
|
1
|
| Retinol
|
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
|
mg
|
12.42
|
| Vitamin E, added
|
mg
|
0.00
|
| Tocopherol, beta
|
mg
|
0.47
|
| Tocopherol, gamma
|
mg
|
0.00
|
| Tocopherol, delta
|
mg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
|
mcg
|
1.0
|
| Lipids
|
| Fatty acids, total saturated
|
g
|
1.870
|
| 4:0
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 6:0
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 8:0
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 10:0
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 12:0
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 14:0
|
g
|
0.018
|
| 16:0
|
g
|
1.006
|
| 18:0
|
g
|
0.793
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated
|
g
|
3.406
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated
|
g
|
0.018
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated
|
g
|
3.368
|
| 20:1
|
g
|
0.017
|
| 22:1 undifferentiated
|
g
|
0.000
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated
|
g
|
11.785
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated
|
g
|
11.748
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated
|
g
|
0.025
|
| 18:4
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:4 undifferentiated
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:5 n-3
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:5 n-3
|
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:6 n-3
|
g
|
0.000
|
| Cholesterol
|
mg
|
0
|
| Phytosterols
|
mg
|
192
|
| Amino acids
|
| Tryptophan
|
g
|
0.125
|
| Threonine
|
g
|
0.334
|
| Isoleucine
|
g
|
0.410
|
| Leucine
|
g
|
0.597
|
| Lysine
|
g
|
0.337
|
| Methionine
|
g
|
0.178
|
| Cystine
|
g
|
0.162
|
| Phenylalanine
|
g
|
0.421
|
| Tyrosine
|
g
|
0.240
|
| Valine
|
g
|
0.473
|
| Arginine
|
g
|
0.865
|
| Histidine
|
g
|
0.228
|
| Alanine
|
g
|
0.402
|
| Aspartic acid
|
g
|
0.881
|
| Glutamic acid
|
g
|
2.008
|
| Glycine
|
g
|
0.526
|
| Proline
|
g
|
0.426
|
| Serine
|
g
|
0.387
|
| Other
|
| Alcohol, ethyl
|
g
|
0.0
|
| Caffeine
|
mg
|
0
|
| Theobromine
|
mg
|
0
|
| Carotene, beta
|
mcg
|
11
|
| Carotene, alpha
|
mcg
|
0
|
| Cryptoxanthin, beta
|
mcg
|
0
|
| Lycopene
|
mcg
|
0
|
| Lutein + zeaxanthin
|
mcg
|
0
|
USDA National Nutrient Database
for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005)
|