41 Amazing Benefits Of Sunflower And Its Oil

Everyone loves Sunflower for its big petals and bright yellow colour? But do you also know its numerous health benefits?  Most of the sunflower parts are edible and are widely used to treat problems related to health, skin and hair. Sunflower has a very different aroma and can be easily found everywhere all round the year. Its oil is popularly used for cooking, due to its mild flavour and taste.

Let us check some top health benefits of sunflower and its oil.

Benefits Of Sunflower And Its Oil:

1. Anti- Inflammatory:

Sunflower can lower the inflammatory problems of skin eruptions, gastric ulcers, joint pain, and asthma, as it is packed with many antioxidants.

Vitamin E in the seeds is a fat-soluble antioxidant to neutralize any free radicals that damage your brain cells, and cholesterol. This can lower the osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

2. Maintains Heart Health:

Consume sunflower seeds each day to be away from any heart related problems. They can also help you to get rid of ‘bad’ cholesterol and prevent them from sticking to your arteries walls. This indirectly prevents the chances of heart attacks.

3. Consume Them:

Sunflower seed is crunchy and nutty in taste that is popular snack. You can also eat them daily with salads or stir-fries. Mix them with curd, wheat, rice, sandwiches to avail many health benefits.

4. Filled With Vitamin E.

Vitamin E provides protection to your cells from the damage of free radicals and cell membranes. This also keeps your blood circulation and RBCs at check.

5. Controls Any Cell Damage:

Sunflower is best to control any cell damage and provides protection from cancer. Sunflower seeds have selenium to prevent from cancer.

6. Maintains Bone Health:

Sunflower contains magnesium and copper that is necessary for healthy and strong bones. Sunflower seeds are also rich sources of Vitamin E, which soothes arthritic pain.

9. Thiamine Content:

The sunflower seeds have Thiamine, a B-vitamin that stimulates your cell catalysts for any chemical reactions. It is advised to maintaining a proper thiamine level in the body to acquire energy from the food intake.

10. Copper:

Copper is best your skin and hair. Copper helps in melanin production, which adds colour to the hair and skin. Copper content in sunflower can help to maintains proper metabolic processes in the body that is needed for producing energy in the cells.

11. Relaxes Mind:

Sunflower seeds are filled with magnesium that is useful to soothe your nerves, lower stress level and treat migraines.

12. Adds Glow To The Skin:

Sunflower seeds are useful to maintain a youthful glow to your skin. This has Vitamin E to fights from UV and maintains the youthfulness of your skin.

13. Prevents From Cancer:
Sunflower seeds are packed with selenium to stimulate DNA repair and stop the multiplying of cancer cells. This is also useful to prevent cancer like bladder cancer, colon, and prostate cancer. Hence, consume sunflower oil to the everyday diet to keep bad effects of colon cancer at bay. This oil also has Carotenoids to prevent lung, uterine, and skin cancer. Sunflower oil is rich source of selenium that lowers lung and skin cancers.

14. Bone And Joints Flexibility:
Sunflower seeds are filled with magnesium content that develops stronger bones. Human body’s bone has magnesium needed for the physical structure. Copper content in these seeds can strengthen and add flexibility into the bones and joints.

15. Maintains Healthy Nerves:

Magnesium content in sunflower is useful for the nerves to prevent calcium from going into nerve cells. This helps to relax your nerve, blood vessels and muscles. Intake of sunflower seeds in every day diet also lowers the chances of migraine headaches, soreness, hypertension, muscle tension, and fatigue. They help to prevent migraine attacks and even heart attacks. Sunflower seeds have tryptophan that manufactures serotonin required by your neurotransmitter to get relief from tension and aid relaxation.

16. Skin Your Protection:
Vitamin E is the most vital element for hair, skin and nails health. Vitamin E content in sunflower prevents the skin from UV radiation. They can even be sued topically to get protection from UV damage. Intake of sunflower seeds or oil with vitamin E helps to maintain your skin’s health.

17. Is A Stress Buster:

Sunflower seeds contain tryptophan and Choline to give your relief from stress, anxiety and depression. Choline also increases brain functioning and acts as a memory charger.

18. Cardiovascular Uses: 

Sunflowers have rich content of vitamin E to protect form cardiovascular related disease. Vitamin E-antioxidant helps to keep the free radicals from oxidizing any bad cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol sticks to the vessel walls and causes atherosclerosis, heart attack, blocked arteries, and stroke. Sunflower oil can also reduce the re-occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. Selenium lowers any cardiac problems and hepatic degradation.

19. Natural Energy Source:

Sunflower oil is a source of natural energy. Intake of sunflower oil in the daily diet or in salad can help you feel fresh and energized even at your work.

 20. Lower Infant Infection:

Sunflower oil is used to reduce any infections in infants who are born with low weight or pre-term. Such babies are at a highest risk of getting infection due to underdeveloped organs and skin.

21. Stops Free Radicals:

Sunflower oil neutralizes any cancer causing free radicals. as, they are rich source of vitamin E and tocopherols that destroy  Free radicals cells and boosts immune system.

 22. Acts As A Natural Moisturizer:

The sunflower oil is filled with vitamin E that acts as a natural skin moisturizer. This can also retain water in your cells to hydrate the skin.

23. Repairs The Body:

Protein is needed for building and repairing of the tissues and production of hormones and enzymes. Protein content in sunflower oil provides backup supply to the body to get its benefits.

 24. Maintains Healthy Immune System:

Zinc included in sunflower oil is best to maintain a healthy immune system and aids in healing of wounds. Zinc also maintains your sense to smell and taste.

 25. Helps To Create New Cells:

Sunflower oil is a best source folic acid required by the body to produce any new cells.

 26. Boost Your Fertility:

Sunflower seeds can be useful to boost the fertility in men and women. Their sprouts also contain zinc needed for sperm development.

27. Pregnancy:

Sunflower sprouts contain vitamins B, especially more of folate. Folate is the best required vitamin for pregnant women. This aid in good development of the baby’s nervous system and their blood circulation. This is also useful to get relief from stress.

 28. Reduces Hypertension:

Sunflower seeds boost the antioxidant capacity with its vitamin E. Vitamin E works with vitamin C and selenium reduces hypertension and maintains its levels.

29. Chest Congestion:

The sunflower sprout is a bets natural remedy to sooth chest congestion. They are even sued widely in Ayurvedic medicine to clear the congestion. This acts as an expectorant to protect from any lower respiratory infections and keeps spreading of pathogens at bay.

 30. Prevents Arthritis

Do you suffer from arthritis? Consume sunflower oil to your daily diet to treat this problem. Sunflower oil can very effectively treat and prevent from rheumatoid arthritis.

 31. Prevents Asthma:

Sunflower oil is useful to provide protection from asthma and its other symptoms.

32. Aids Healthy Digestive System:

Sunflower oil has vitamin B that is needed for good digestive system, healthy digestion, and production of energy.

 33. Lowers The Cholesterol Level:

Lecithin content in sunflower oil is a best way to keep a check at the cholesterol levels and maintain it. As lecithin tend to stick to the nerve and the cell linings to avoid any fat and cholesterol from sticking to the cell.

 34. Prevents Cataract:

Carotenoids content in this sunflower oil helps to provide protection from cataracts. This is also a best sources of vitamin A for good eye health.

 35. Osteoporosis:

Sunflower seed sprouts can be counted as the best vegetarian food to get protein. Protein is required for the repairs of muscle tissue and help in enzymatic functioning of the body. Protein is even needed for your bone development and protection from osteoporosis. This aid in good development of the bone matrix and supports your bone strength. Sunflower seeds can also be a substitute with meat, beef or eggs to gain proteins.

 36. Heart-Healthy Fats:

Sunflower seeds have good fat and about 80% of the calories are obtained from the fat.  But, these fats obtained from the sunflower seeds are considered heart-healthy fats. You can replace your saturated fat with sunflower seeds to lower the blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.

 37. Good Source Of Potassium:

Men are advised to include more of potassium rich diet in their every day diet that can meet their daily needed 4,700 mg for a day. Sunflower seeds can help you to get these required needs, as this has 226 mg potassium to help in maintaing heart health. Potassium can also balance the effects of sodium and lower the level of hypertension.

 38. Snake Bites:

You can crush leaves of sunflower to sooth any swellings, snakebites or even spider bites.

 39. Source Of Zinc

Sunflower seeds contain zinc that is required for the male fertility. Its deficiency can cause clump together of sperms. A man requires 11 mg of zinc every day.

 40. Rich Source Of Antioxidants

Sunflower seeds contain many antioxidants like selenium and vitamin E. Antioxidants prevents and balances oxidative damage to your cells. By reducing the damage sunflower seeds also protect you from many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

 41. Sunflower Tea:

You can also make tea from the leaves of sunflower. This has astringent, diuretic and expectorant property to cure high fevers. You can also drink this tea for reducing malaria and lung ailments.

 

USDA Nutrition Chart Of Sunflower:

(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)

Sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus), kernels, dried, Nutritional value per 100 g. (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	584 Kcal	29%
Carbohydrates	20 g	15%
Protein	20.78 g	37%
Total Fat	51.46 g	172%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	8.6 g	23%
Vitamins
Folates	227 µg	57%
Niacin	8.335 mg	52%
Pantothenic acid	1.130 mg	22%
Pyridoxine	1.345 mg	103%
Riboflavin	0.355 mg	27%
Thiamin	1.480 mg	123%
Vitamin A	50 IU	1.6%
Vitamin C	1.4	2%
Vitamin E	35.17 mg	234%
Electrolytes
Sodium	9 mg	1%
Potassium	645 mg	14%
Minerals
Calcium	78 mg	8%
Copper	1.800 mg	200%
Iron	5.25 mg	63%
Magnesium	325 mg	81%
Manganese	1.950 mg	85%
Phosphorus	660 mg	94%
Selenium	53 µg	96%
Zinc	5.00 mg	45%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-ß	30 µg	—
Crypto-xanthin-ß	0 µg	—
Lutein-zeaxanthin	0 µg	—

Hence, from the above benefits it is clear that sunflower is best for your health. Do share your feedback below!!