Are Sunflower Seeds Fattening

Sunflower seeds are healthy foods that contain essential nutrients for the body. They are eaten just for fun to pass time, or to enjoy the subtle and nutty tasting kennels. Most people love to have roasted seeds with hulls after flavoring with salt. The inner nuts are used in bread, muffins, chicken salads and also, in barbecue sauce. Before we delve more on the topic of our discussion 'are sunflower seeds fattening', let's take a brief look at the nutritional value of sunflower seeds.

Sunflower Seeds: Calories and Nutrition Facts

The small sunflower seeds contain some of the essential fatty acids, vitamin, proteins, minerals and dietary fiber. Nevertheless, as with any type of seed or nut, many health conscious people are concerned with the queries 'are sunflower seeds fattening', 'are sunflower seeds good for you' and more precisely, the calories in sunflower seeds. At the mere mention of seeds, you can expect a high amount of fats, carbohydrates and calories in this food item. After all, they are a storehouse of nutrients for the seed embryo.

In 1 cup serving of sunflower seeds with hulls, with the edible portion weighing about 46 g, the total calorie value is 269. Of this, the fat content is 23.7 g and contributes to about 213 calories. In other words, one cup serving of sunflower seeds yields 800 calories. Nevertheless, the plus point with these seeds is that they are low in sodium and sugar, and contain no cholesterol. As per raw sunflower seeds nutrition facts, they are rich sources of protein, vitamin E, B complex vitamins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium and phosphorus.

Are Sunflower Seeds Fattening for You?

So, you enjoy the taste of sunflower seeds, but are worried about the calorie content and nutrition. Well! The answer for 'are raw sunflower seeds fattening' is both yes and no. If you consume seeds of sunflowers in appropriate amounts, they are beneficial for the body. On the contrary, eating too much of roasted sunflower seeds will obviously lead to weight gain. A handful of sunflower seeds with hulls can be consumed as snacks, but eating large amounts is not recommended.

As aforementioned, sunflower seeds contain high percentage of fatty acids. But, the fats present in these seeds are of healthy type, which are crucial for reducing cholesterol, controlling weight, boosting the immune system and maintaining healthy bones. The phytosterols contained in large amounts in sunflower seeds are shown to have cholesterol lowering effects. Also, selenium present in sunflower seeds aids in reducing cell damage. Likewise, if you go through health benefits of sunflower seeds, you will be impressed with the therapeutic properties of these small seeds.

In traditional medicine, sunflower seeds are used for treating worms, constipation, ulcer, chest pain and many other ailments. In recent times, the followers of herbal medicine suggest usage of sunflower seeds for improving cardiovascular health, treating high blood pressure and also, in managing allergic reactions of the body. And the best way for eating sunflower seeds is chewing raw, unsalted and unshelled seeds. While adding salt increases the sodium content of seeds, roasting causes alteration of the healthy fats.

With this brief overview regarding sunflower seeds nutrition, I hope you have understood the answer for 'are sunflower seeds fattening'. For any type of food item, including nuts and seeds, eating too much is not good for health. The same goes for sunflower seeds, as they contain high amounts of calories . Also, do not use too much salt while roasting them. On the concluding note, sunflower seeds are healthy and non-fattening, provided that they are dry roasted with less salt, and consumed in correct amounts.