Doctors are concerned about the fact that the intake of vitamins of pharmaceutical origin into the body is steadily increasing. When nutritionists join them, who believe that our diet, to put it mildly, is unhealthy, you can imagine where many of our sores and nervousness come from. At the same time, the generous gifts of nature can fully satisfy the needs of our body in nutrients. And do not look far! Take, for example, all of us familiar seeds. The benefits of small and visually not very attractive sunflower seeds are so great that they are one of the healthiest natural products.
Sunflower came to Europe only in 1510 and for several centuries was considered an ornamental plant. It was only later that seeds began to pick and gnaw on it, but only in 1840 the idea came to the Russian farmer to squeeze out oil from the seeds.
Blooming sunflower fields provide bees with nectar and pollen. Antimalarial and antipyretic drugs are made from flowers. When quinine does not work or is absent, the patient is given a tincture of sunflower flowers. An ointment from it heals the wounds.
Almost the best oil in the world is squeezed out of sunflower seeds , and after pressing the cake remains - the ideal animal feed. Cellulose is extracted from the stems or burned to obtain potash fertilizers.
Seeds: benefit and harm?
They contain about twenty-four percent protein, which is more than in meat. But they lack only one brick - the amino acid lysine. And the point is not that it is not there, just not enough. If not for this, then we could assume that the most complete product is seeds.
The benefit is due to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fats, depending on the species, make up from twenty to thirty-eight percent.
Sunflower seeds, the benefits of which are huge for the skin, are due to this very high content of vitamin E, as well as fat-soluble vitamins A and D. There are a lot of vitamins from group B in them. It should be noted that sunflower seeds are a rich source of vitamin B6. This vitamin, together with zinc, which seeds also contain a lot, is an excellent tool for good beautiful and smooth skin, it also defeats seborrhea and prevents the formation of acne.
It is also known that seeds are good for the prostate.
Sunflower seeds contain twice as much iron as raisins, which is considered one of the richest natural sources of this trace element. They have a lot of minerals, calcium and potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
Sunflower seeds are recommended for people of all ages. They are used in the diet for diabetics, for skin diseases, obesity and rheumatic disease. If someone is at risk of a heart attack, multiple sclerosis should be especially fond of seeds.
However, they can not be abused because of the high calorie content (in one glass of seeds about four hundred calories). However, "unhealthy" snacks can successfully replace delicious sunflower seeds. The health benefits of their use are to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, lowering blood pressure. They favorably affect hair and nails.
Compounds present in the seeds also have anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic effects.
Despite all its advantages, seeds can still cause certain troubles. First of all, their husking damages the tooth enamel and, as a result, spoils the teeth.
It is not recommended to use salted seeds because of the high sodium content in them, leading to increased pressure and even heart disease.
It should be noted that frying kills the bulk of the beneficial substances contained in the seeds. Therefore, a refried product will not do you any good.