Sunflower seeds may help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar as they contain vitamin E, magnesium, protein, linoleic fatty acids and several plant compounds.
Bioactive peptides in sunflower seeds may help your blood vessels relax, lowering your blood pressure, by blocking an enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict. The magnesium in sunflower seeds helps reduce blood pressure levels as well.
Additionally, sunflower seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. Your body uses linoleic acid to make a hormone-like compound that relaxes blood vessels, promoting lower blood pressure. This fatty acid also helps lower cholesterol.
In a 3-week study, women with type 2 diabetes who ate 1 ounce (30 grams) of sunflower seeds daily as part of a balanced diet experienced a 5% drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading).
Participants also noted a 9% and 12% decrease in “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively.
Studies suggest that people who eat 1 ounce (30 grams) of sunflower seeds daily as part of a healthy diet may reduce fasting blood sugar by about 10% within six months, compared to a healthy diet alone.
The blood-sugar-lowering effect of sunflower seeds may partially be due to the plant compound chlorogenic acid.
Studies also suggest that adding sunflower seeds to foods like bread may help decrease carbs’ effect on your blood sugar. The seeds’ protein, fat, and fiber slow the rate at which your stomach empties, allowing a more gradual release of sugar from carbs.
