Sunflower seeds are one of those things that you can't stop eating once you've started. And that characteristic is what makes them a health risk, since the negative effects they have on the body occur, above all, when they are consumed in excess. Which is not difficult, because they tend to eat compulsively. So the only way to take advantage of its numerous nutritional properties without being harmed is to control the amount and not exceed it by even a gram.
The way to achieve this is to prepare a serving of a maximum of 30 grams per day, which is equivalent to a quarter cup of milk. That amount of raw and unsalted pipes (as they are popularly known) provides about 200 calories, more or less the same as those fried in oil and slightly more than dry roasted. That represents ten percent of the calories of a normal daily diet, which is about 2,000.
If that amount is doubled or tripled, which is not difficult given the addictive power they have, it can reach close to a thousand calories that would be added to the contribution of the rest of the food, since they do not replace it. Fats are another issue to consider in pipes. The established ones predominate, which are beneficial for health, although the one they have in the greatest quantity is linoleic acid, an omega-6 with inflammatory properties. The danger they represent is that excess can clog the arteries and cause brain accidents.
Those 30 grams also contain about 1.7 saturated fat, which is equivalent to about 15 calories from fat, which can be a problem if you eat other foods that also have it.
Saladitas are better
Another of its negative characteristics is the sodium content. The most common way to eat them is, as we have mentioned, toasted and salted. That is why they will always be less harmful, although also less tasty, if they are eaten raw and without added salt. The standard amount of 30 grams provides 174 milligrams of sodium, even if those taken are with the skin, because it is impregnated with salt.
That means 12% of the total amount recommended by the American Heart Association, which must be added to the rest of the salt we eat with other foods. More than 1,500 milligrams daily can cause cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. It is true that the latter only occurs in people who already have a high level of it, and who should be especially careful with pipes, but it also produces undesirable fluid retention.
Very nutritious, but be careful with phosphorus
Seeds are considered a very nutritious food thanks to the contribution of phenolic acids and flavonoids, which give them medicinal properties. They are antioxidants, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, combat high blood pressure and are antiviral.
Other benefits are due to vitamin E, B1 and many other basic nutrients, fiber, proteins, iron, selenium and other components that help prevent chronic diseases. But, as with so many things in our diet, abuse is not advisable. But it is not only about the quantities that sunflower seeds have, but these are added to those that other foods that we eat in our daily diet may provide.
Phosphorus is one of the components of this food that can cause health problems. If on the one hand it is convenient because it helps absorb calcium, if it is abused it damages the kidneys. These are forced to overexert themselves to purify their excess, which sometimes leads to kidney ailments.
Another proven risk of phosphorus is its impact on osteoporosis, or loss of bone density, and the formation of calcifications in different parts of the body. Selenium, for its part, is another potentially dangerous nutrient abundant in pipes. Taking more than necessary would cause selenosis, the symptoms of which are brittle hair and nails, rash, fatigue and irritability, and even, in extremely serious cases, death.
A universal snack
Although they look like seeds and we generally believe they are, they are actually the fruits of the sunflower. The pipes are formed in the center of the flower, which is usually large, and are made up of the shell and the interior, which is the edible part.
They are harvested when the flower has dried and are sold both raw and roasted, with and without salt, in shell or peeled. In some places even with flavors. In China, where they are very popular, they are impregnated with tea, among other flavors. Although the most common in Spain, which together with Russia is one of the main producers, are toasted and salty ones. In addition to being a snack, they can be added to salads, breads, sweets and other culinary preparations.
There is a lot of types. The most common are those used to make oil, smaller and black, and those for eating. These, larger in size and with black and white stripes, are also the food of some species of birds, such as parrots and parakeets, or hamsters.
