Crushed Sunflower Seeds for Breakfast

SUNFLOWER seeds have plenty of anti-oxidant you can enjoy as snacks or as garnish to your meal or breakfast.

Add some boost to your oatmeal or morning cereal. The highest natural source of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E is in a ¼ cup serving of sunflower seed every day. Not only that, this yummy seed can also help you:

• Improve your skin health. Sunflower seeds contain high amount of the antioxidant vitamin E, they support skin health, keeping things smooth and soft— especially as we age—and protect against free-radical damage. Sunflower seeds also are a good source of healthy fats, which help our skin stay glowy and hydrated.

• Reduce inflammation. The root cause of many diseases like cardiovascular diseases and hypertension is inflammation. Sunflower seeds’ vitamin E levels will counteract that. Research has shown that vitamin E’s anti-inflammatory properties are helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease by clearing blocked arteries. Combine that with the heart-healthy fats and fiber in these seeds, and you’ve got the perfect nutrient package for your ticker.

• Reduce risk of breast cancer. Vitamin E isn’t the only thing that sunflower seeds have to offer. They also provide selenium, another antioxidant that has been shown to help stop cancer cells from multiplying in the body as well as help to halt the growth of cancerous tumors, particularly when it comes to breast cancer. This is because selenium helps the body with DNA repair and detoxification.

• Reduce anxiety and depression. Sunflower seeds could also put you in a brighter mood. That’s because they provide magnesium, an essential mineral many people don’t get enough of. And when levels of magnesium are inadequate, serotonin, the feel-good hormone, levels drop, making some people seem more anxious or depressed. By increasing your magnesium intake (and ¼ cup sunflower seeds has nearly a third of the amount you need each day) can potentially help to alleviate symptoms whether you’re medicated or not.