Sunflower seeds, a product of the sunflower plant, provide a convenient and nutritious snack. The seeds can be purchased either in-shell which means that the kernel remains in the hull, or hulled in which the kernel is mechanically removed from. The nutrient content of hulled sunflower seeds classifies them as a whole food and makes them an ideal snack.
Location
As one of the few crops native to North American, 85 percent of commercially available sunflower seeds come from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, according to Purdue University Department of Horticulture. Although used as a high-energy snack by Native American Indian tribes, the seeds surfaced as an important agronomic crop in the 1950s, as described by the National Sunflower Association.
Protein
All the cells in the body contain proteins. The body continually breaks down and rebuilds proteins, and dietary sources of protein provide the needed amino acids --- the building blocks of proteins --- necessary to accomplish this. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that adult men need to ingest 56 g of protein per day while adult women require 46 g. Although animal sources such as meat, fish and eggs, provide higher levels of complete proteins, plant sources such as sunflower seeds serve as a good source of complementary proteins --- proteins that provide only some of the essential amino acids. The National Sunflower Association indicates that 1 oz. of hulled sunflower seeds provides 6 g of protein.
Fiber
The body requires dietary fiber to keep the digestive tract healthy. Dietary fiber, the portion of plant products that cannot be broken down by enzymes in the intestines, helps prevent constipation, diverticulitis and hemorrhoids. Fiber also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, which contributes to overall cardiovascular health. One oz. of hulled sunflower seeds provides 4 g of fiber toward the suggested 14 g per 1,000 calories per day, as provided by Colorado State University Extension.
Essential Minerals
Essential minerals describe those minerals necessary for the body to function. The human body requires seven macrominerals, including calcium, chlorine, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur, and 14 trace minerals including chromium, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, fluorine, cobalt, tin, iodine, selenium, vanadium, nickel, boron and molybdenum. Hulled sunflower seeds serve as a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and copper.
Essential Vitamins
In addition to essential minerals the body requires 13 essential vitamins, including vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B-complex vitamins. Hulled sunflower seeds serve as one of the best whole food sources of vitamin E --- a vitamin that works as an antioxidant by protecting cells from damage. One oz. of the hulled seeds provides 11.34 mg of vitamin E, which represents 76 percent of the total Recommended Dietary Allowance, according to the National Sunflower Association.
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