Nutritional Content Of Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds may be the answer many people are looking for in the search for a satisfying snack food that is healthy and guilt-free. Sunflowers are native to Mexico and Peru and have a 5,000-year history of use as a food source with many nutritional benefits.

Vitamin E

Providing 90.5 percent of the daily value of vitamin E in a quarter cup, raw sunflower seeds qualify as an excellent food source, according to the website World'sHealthiestFoods.com. Vitamin E is one of the most used fat soluble anti-oxidants, playing a special role in protecting fat containing structures such as cell membranes, brain cells and cholesterol. It prevents cells from the damaging effects of oxidation and helps ensure optimal function. Preserving the viability of cells also leads to reduced levels of inflammation and less risk of degenerative and inflammatory disease such as arthritis, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E breaks down when exposed to heat, so raw is best when seeking high vitamin E content.

Phytosterols

These cholesterol-like molecules found in plants have cholesterol lowering properties and, of the most commonly consumed nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds are among the highest for phytosterol content, with approximately 280 mg per 100 g. Phytosterols are responsible for the cholesterol-lowering claims of butter replacement spreads. A 2010 study in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found phytosterols to have beneficial effects on cholesterol metabolism throughout the body and beyond what is reflected in blood levels alone.

Magnesium

Sunflower seeds contain nearly a third of the daily value for magnesium in a quarter cup. Magnesium relaxes muscles and has a calming effect that helps the body recover from over-exertion and contributes to the prevention of high blood pressure and asthma by relaxing smooth muscles that line the arteries and airways. Magnesium also plays a role in bone metabolism and 2/3 of the magnesium in the body is present in bone, according to World's Healthiest Foods, where it participates in bone production and is held in storage for its other purposes.

Selenium

Another mineral present in high concentrations in sunflower seeds is selenium. This micronutrient, at 21.42 micrograms and 30.6 percent daily value in a quarter cup, is a powerful antioxidant with proven anti-cancer properties. Selenium is a necessary component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which the liver uses in its detoxification pathways. The 2010 "Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters" reported on a study that demonstrated a cytotoxic effect of seleium on lung cancer cells.

Vitamin Content

A quarter cup serving of sunflower seeds provides 54.6 percent of the daily value for thiamin -- vitamin B1 -- 20.46 percent of the daily value for folate -- a B complex vitamin that prevents neural tube defects in developing fetuses -- and about a quarter of the daily value for pantothenic acid -- B5.