The relationship between sunflower seeds and heart health has to do with the nutritional value of sunflower seeds and oil derived from them. It is not safe to say that consuming sunflower seeds and heart health go hand in hand. Add sunflower seeds to an unhealthy diet and a lifestyle will not guarantee a healthy heart.
As a sandwich, we eat the nucleus, not all the seed. Although this sandwich may be healthier than some, most companies add salt, which is bad for the person with high blood pressure or restricted sodium diets. For those who need to lose weight or for those of us who need to focus on controlling our weight, we must remember the calories and calories of fat. Actually, we could gain weight eating too many sunflower seeds. And heart health is directly related to maintaining a healthy weight.
Substituting sunflower seed oil, canola oil, olive oil and other vegetable oils for butter and shortening when cooking is a movement in the right direction. According to numerous health agencies, the typical American diet is too high in saturated fat, animal fats, trans fat and fats in general. A healthy diet should not have more than 30% of your calories from any source of fat. For the healthiest diet, 30% should be polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fats and / or nuts and seeds. In other words, it seems that animal fat is the big problem.
A factor that relates sunflower seeds and heart health is fiber. The seeds and nuts are good sources of fiber. Fiber is important in the diet for numerous reasons. Digestive health and weight control are two of the largest.
One of the main risk factors for heart disease is obesity. Fluctuating weight caused by fashion diets that allow a person to lose 20 pounds, but then win everything, it is believed that they put extra stress in the heart. Weight control throughout all the lifespan of everything is the healthiest option for the heart.
The fiber of nuts, seeds, vegetable food, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains (such as oatmeal) cause a feeling of fullness without excessively eating. Although the “bread” is usually thought as a “grain”, it is not a whole grain. Even the bread that says “whole grain” is made of flour. Once the flour is ground, the best fiber sources are eliminated. Oatmeal contains oats. Oats are whole grains. Instant oatmeal is not the best option and oats is just a whole grain. Rye, barley and many others can be found. If you are buying processed foods, you should look at the label.