Sunflower Seeds

History

Beautiful yellow sunflowers produce tasty sunflower that are small seeds colored grey or green and are found inside the husks, otherwise known as their shell, which can be grey, black or dark green.

The National Sunflower Association, Sunflowers tells us that these flowers are native to North America. Evidence shows Native Americans grew them as far back as 3000 B.C! Eventually they were brought to Europe, then they spread to Russia and that is where they were grown for their oil. They appeared back in North America in the late 1800s and at that time were grown for oil, seeds and to beautify gardens. Sunflower seeds have large amounts of Vitamin E, which is also called gamma-tocopherol. It is a strong antioxidant appearing in many kinds of nuts and seeds, however, sunflower seeds are considered as one of the better sources of natural Vit E, which helps in fighting off the damage to the body caused by free radicals.

Sunflower seeds are also good for the heart, as they help to get rid of LDL or bad cholesterol and aids in preventing high blood pressure, as well as being said to help prevent cancer, muscle cramps, headaches, and help detoxify the body and give you better skin, etc.

Best Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds

1. Reduces Risk for Heart Disease

A quarter cup of sunflower seeds contains 80% if the daily requirement of the antioxidant Vitamin E, which aids in lowering dangerous body inflammation that can cause several diseases. Also called gamma-tocopherol, Vit. E also appears in other seeds and nuts besides sunflower seeds.

Scientists now know high inflammation levels are connected with more chances of developing heart disease, as well as strokes, some cancers, diabetes, and severe neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Eating sunflowers seeds regularly is shown to aid in balancing cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and protecting you from heart disease, all made possible after it helps you control levels of inflammation in the body.

Sunflower seeds are also high in both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components, which lowers oxidative stress and free-radicals within the body which can cause damage. Recent studies printed in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, shows how much helpful phytosterols are in nuts and seeds. It lists sunflower seeds as having the most over all other kinds. Phytosterols are accountable for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and is a great way to protect you from heart disease.

Vitamin E is fat soluble, so it must be eaten along with fat, so the body can absorb its benefits, therefore, sunflower seeds are even better because they have both essential fatty acids and Vitamin E.

Vitamin E antioxidants are in particles of cholesterol and aid in keeping free radicals from treacherously oxidizing cholesterol (2). Cholesterol must be oxidized so atherosclerosis can happen, which causes arteries to be blocked and may cause a heart attack to occur.

2. Helps to Prevent Cancer Due to High Antioxidant Content

Studies show sunflower seeds are particularly good for cancer prevention via eating a diet high in nutrients. Their vital array of antioxidants, trace minerals, etc., aid in reducing oxidative stress in the body, and if that is not controlled, it contributes to developing cancer.

Studies show nutrients in sunflower seeds are full of chemo-preventive substances that delay early stages of cancer progress to stop tumors from growing. Antioxidants present in sunflower seeds help repair DNA and works to slow down cancer cells from mutating and growing. This makes eating sunflower seeds a great way to avert cancer and lessen the chances of it coming back.

Gamma-tocopherol (Vitamin E) aids preventing cancer. Studies show Vitamin E guards men against prostate cancer. A new study done by Texas Woman’s University proposes it additionally aids in reducing lung cancer risk.

Sunflower seeds also are full of selenium, which is an antioxidant vital in averting breast cancer. Also, studies show it aids in repairing DNA and can help detox the body from dangerous or damaged body cells. Selenium aids in stopping production of cancer cells. It also slows the growth of tumors via apoptosis, which is the body’s own self-destruction of cells that have been damaged cells, including cancer tumor cells.

3. Supports Thyroid Functions

According to the United States National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health about 27 million Americans have thyroid disease, and females and the elderly are the most likely to get it. One of the main causes of thyroid illnesses, counting hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, is a shortage of selenium, and sunflower seeds are great to get all the selenium you need.

The thyroid gland is responsible regulates the body’s temperature, heart rate, protein production, and controls metabolism, etc.; so, a thyroid sickness can appear via various symptoms like gaining weight, tiredness, atypical body temperatures, etc. and is difficult to diagnose correctly unless you get a urine or blood test done.

A key to natural control of thyroid diseases without drugs is to consume larger amounts of selenium and iodine, as well as make other healthy life changes.

4. Helps Fight Osteoporosis, Bone Loss, and Muscle Cramps

Sunflower seeds deliver high amounts of vital trace minerals like magnesium, and many Americans are deficient in it because they have a bad diet that is low in fresh, nourishing food. Magnesium plays several vital roles in the body such as balance the body’s calcium/potassium ratio in cells, and is vital to heart health, and helps keep blood pressure healthy.

It is partly accountable for healthy skeletal structure and aids in preventing bone problems such as osteoporosis. Moreover, it helps blood clot, and help bones calcify. Magnesium likewise aids in reduction of chronic migraines, constipation, chronic fatigue, and symptoms related to mood ailments such as depression and anxiety.

Sunflower seeds are high in B Vitamins, such as B5, also called pantothenic acid. Vitamin B5 plays a vital role in metabolizing energy because it works like a coenzyme which is involved in the body’s chemical reactions that produce energy.

Pantothenic acid likewise has a part in the synthetization of fat, hormones regulation, and keeping your brain healthy. Severe lack of B5 isn’t common, but if one has a mild deficiency, they could suffer fatigue, plantar fasciitis and muscle cramps. Plantar fasciitis happens often with sports figures and affects the shin and feet.

5. Balances Blood Sugar Levels and Helps Prevent Diabetes

A diet full of different kinds of nuts and seeds is known to lessen chances of hyperglycemia, as well as aid in balancing sugar levels in the blood. It also lessens the possibility of getting metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes or resistance to insulin. Research on people whose diet contains lots of seeds show that the ingredients appearing in the seeds aided in fighting illnesses connected to erratic blood sugar levels.

Erratic blood sugar levels and resistance to leads to more inflammation, gaining weight, and possible autoimmune issues. However, the nutrients found in sunflower seeds aid in stopping the erratic blood sugar spikes and drops such as those in people who eat too much sugar, sweet drinks, refined grains, and processed foods. One such ingredient in seeds, Magnesium, is shown to protect against getting type 2 diabetes by some research studies.

South American people have eaten sunflower seeds for centuries. People there ate them about 5,000 years ago because of their delicious taste and fat content. Then the Spanish explorers came there and returned home to bring them to Europe and later North America.

6. Improves Skin Healthiness

Studies show Vitamin E is good for keeping the skin strong, healthy and youthful, and sunflower seeds are a good source of it. They also have essential fatty acid lipids, which hydrate the skin and aid in protecting the skin from sun damage and pollution. Research with animals also shows sunflower and flax seeds aid in keeping the animal’s fur and skin fit and protected even when they get older, and humans can get the same benefits.

Polyunsaturated Fat Oils

Sunflower seeds contain high amounts of fat, so they are often used to making processed polyunsaturated oils. Sunflower seeds are good for you, but oil made from them may not be, as the fat in them breaks down if used in high heat cooking.

Polyunsaturated fats go rancid easily and experience oxidization if cooked with, and that causes them to become contaminated with toxins due to high heat, which kills off their beneficial antioxidants, making the fat chemicals change their makeup and making free radicals appear that are dangerous to the body.

Most polyunsaturated oils are cheap, made of corn and soybeans and sold in most grocery stores. They are bad for you and it is better to use coconut oil that is unrefined for cooking, can stand up to heat better and is not so processed. Some studies show people in the modern day eat about a third of their calories from such polyunsaturated oils, and that is too high, unhealthy and instead you should use omega-3 fats as well as healthy saturated fats.

Eating too much of the bad polyunsaturated oils can cause illnesses like cancer, heart problems, immune problems, reproductive organ damage, and so much else. So, it is good to eat raw sunflower seeds, but don’t eat oil made from them.

How to Eat Sunflower Seeds

It is not hard to get sunflower seeds into your diet. They are great for snacks or adding to meals. Here are some suggestions;

• Enhance veggie burgers, hamburgers or meat loaf with sunflower seeds
• Put them into your next salad or try some tasty sunflower butter on your bread
• Add to your salmon salad for sandwiches that have a crunchy texture
• Add some sunflower seeds to your oatmeal in the morning, spread some sunflower seed butter on bread or put some in smoothie recipes
• Put sunflower seeds in baked goods like muffins or bread or scones
• Ground up sunflower seeds and use them instead of chia or flax seed in recipes

The quickest and easiest method of getting rid of the seed shells to process them for recipes is to use a blender or food processor, or coffee grinder to mill them. Milling helps to release the seed’s nutrients because these are blocked when the shell is unbroken.

Once ground, pour some water on them and that causes the milled pieces of the shells to float to the surface of the water. Then you can gather them and get rid of them and the delicious seeds remain. Dry these seeds and keep in dry jar in your refrigerator.

Interactions and Side Effects

Fortunately, sunflower seeds don’t usually cause allergies. They are low in things that cause allergies such as oxalates, purines, aflatoxins or mold. They have lots of omega-6 polyunsaturated fat balanced with omega 3 fats. Eat about one ounce every day for good health. You can vary the fats you eat every day by also eating foods with good fats like coconut, ghee, wild caught fish, walnuts, butter from grass fed animals, and flaxseeds as all those have omega 3 fats.

SPECIFICATIONS OF BLACK SUNFLOWER SEEDS

1. Kernels are processed only by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Processing is under standard as per product information written down bellow:

• This standard applies to mechanically hulled seeds, from varieties (cultivars) grown from Helianthus annuus L., f. Asteraceae to be supplied to the consumers.
• The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of black sunflower hybrids, ordinary.
• Black sunflower seeds shall be safe, not irradiated and suitable for processing for human and animal consumption.
• The condition of the black sunflower seeds shall be such as to enable them to withstand normal transport and handling, and to arrive in a satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

2. Row materials are free from GMO;

3. Packaging – various types – 20 kg pp bags/ 20 kg paper bags/ 25 kg pp bags/25 kg paper bags; 800 kg/ 900 kg / 1000 kg /1 100 kg/ 1 200 kg big-bags as per client`s demand;
4. FTL/FCL – One full 40-feet container takes from 23.1 MT up to 25.75 MT net weight with loading by pallets or direct loading on a floor.
5. Attendant documents:
   1. Original Invoice;
   2. Packing list;
   3. Non – GMO declaration;
   4. Certificate of analysis with main indexes – production date, moisture, impurities, content ofhulled and broken kernels, LOT Number. Certificate is issue from our laboratory;
6. Additional documents, tests, packaging, labeling or other, not-mentioned conditions – All additional documents, requirements and so on are subject of mutual negotiation between both parties.
7. Labels – ½ of A4 black & white stick on the bag – free of charge. Text should be pointed in advance from customer and he must be in accordance of EU directives in force. In case of different requirements – more colors, pictures, thickness and surface of paper and other things – additional costs will be charged into a price. Customer may prepare by own self labels and send them to the factory;
8. Fumigation – Only according to buyer’s order. Remark: If transport vehicle is not in accordance of safety work with pesticides from first group of toxics fumigation will not be perform or vehicle will be set off.

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