It is difficult to determine who was the first to grow sunflower. Some give the palm to the Peruvian tribes, others to the Indians who lived in the territory of the current North American states of New Mexico and Arizona. Sunflower was grown here about 4 millennia ago, which is confirmed by the findings of the ubiquitous archaeologists. The Spaniards brought a sunny flower to Europe.
With the light hand of Peter I, the main supplier of European know-how, the sunflower began its journey through Russian land, where an unpretentious plant was first fond of beautiful flowers and tasty seeds, and after a relatively short period of time they began to use sunflower seeds to obtain oil. Despite the fact that the method for producing oil was invented by the British back in 1716, the world's first oil mill appeared in the 19th century in Russia.
Sunflower seeds - a kind of "depot" of substances necessary for the body. Under their skin hide nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Is it possible to find anything harmful in sunflower seeds, so generously awarded by nature? It is possible, but not much. If you get carried away with seeds without measure, gradual destruction of tooth enamel, damage to the gums and the occurrence of other problems of the oral cavity are possible. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to clean the seeds with your hands. Those who want to lose weight should remember about their high calorie content (in 100 grams - 520 kcal).
What are the benefits of sunflower seeds? Consider below
Firstly, raw, slightly dried sunflower seeds are a source of vitamins E, C, D, carotene and B vitamins. It should be remembered that heat treatment destroys nutrients, so you should not expect any beneficial effects from fried seeds.
Secondly, the seeds contain trace elements - magnesium, zinc, calcium, selenium. For example, magnesium 100 grams of seeds contain 311 mg, which exceeds the content of this trace element in rye bread by 6 times.
Thirdly, a small number of seeds makes it possible to satisfy the daily requirement of an adult human body for unsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic, which are remarkably absorbed and have the ability to normalize metabolic processes.
Sunflower seeds are considered a means of preventing such insidious diseases as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. Seeds help with liver diseases, accelerate wound healing. They are recommended to be used after fractures and to restore strength after infectious diseases. The substances contained in them have a beneficial effect on the skin condition. The process of clicking seeds helps to relax and distract from anxious thoughts.
White sunflower seeds are not a breeding product, but a variety that nature itself has created. Striped white seeds of a sunny flower are very fond of in Turkey and are called the pride of the Turkish coast. White seeds differ from their black counterparts not only in color, large size and elongated shape. They have a harder husk, and the taste of fried white sunflower seeds is characterized by a light shade of walnut.