Benefits and Uses of Sunflowers for Skin, Hair and Health
Sunflowers not only just provide a pretty sight, but also have attached to it certain health benefits. Now that people realize the health benefits associated with it, the flower is also used for production of seed and oil for different kind of usage. Sunflower seed and oil is rich in essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins and fats. Hence, they are popularly known as ‘super-food’.
Let us look at the rich benefits the beautiful flower has to offer!
Benefits of Sunflowers for Skin:
The flower is gifted by nature and is a rich source of essential nutrients, making it a perfect choice for healthy food consumption. The sunflower is enriched with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The regular usage promotes a healthy looking skin. The various other skin benefits derived from sunflowers are as given below
Anti-aging Benefits:
The oil proves to be a great source of essential acids that encourage the development of collagen and elastin, which helps in making your skin soft and supple. The fatty acids protect the skin from bacterial growth because of its antibacterial properties. Hence it provides relief from acne and pimples related problems.
Glowing Skin:
Vitamin E is a must to keep your skin healthy and nourished. Sunflower seeds provide a rich content of vitamin E and protects from skin damaging ultraviolet rays. It maintains the glow and ensures a youthful looking skin.
Natural Moisturizer:
How about having a natural moisturizer? Sunflower oil works best when used as a skin moisturizer. The vitamin E in the oil helps in maintaining the moisture of the skin and provides a protecting shield over it.
Youthful Skin:
Sunflower comes loaded with ample amount of copper. This essential mineral is necessary for melanin production in the skin. Copper acts as a skin concealer and hides away all the aging symptoms and provides a youthful looking skin. So next time, don’t be surprised when you see sunflower in the ingredient list in your cosmetics and creams.
Hair Benefits of Sunflowers:
Sunflower ensures healthy and beautiful hair. The copper and zinc in it provides following hair benefits.
Copper for Hair:
Sunflowers are enriched with copper and provide a natural colour to your hair and prevent greying. The mineral maintains the lustre, bounce and colour of the hair.
Stimulates Hair Growth:
Vitamin E in the seeds and oil of sunflower provides bouncy and healthy hair. Vitamin E promotes oxygen supply to the scalp and facilitates hair growth. It also provides healthy nails. The zinc in the sunflower seeds provides you with strong and thick hair.
Health Benefits of Sunflowers:
Sunflowers loaded with essential nutrients offers essential health benefit. They are given as below
Anti-inflammatory Action:
Sunflower with its anti inflammatory properties helps in healing joint pain, gastric ulcers, asthma and sudden skin eruptions.
Bone Health:
Insufficient calcium in your diet? Include sunflower to make your bones strong and healthy. The copper enriched sunflower seeds ensure flexible and strong bones whereas the magnesium in it maintains the physical structure of bones. The Vitamin E in seeds reduces the arthritic pain.
Chest Congestion:
The sunflower sprouts provide fast relief from chest congestion. In Ayurveda, they are believed to clear the lungs in our system.
Cataract:
The wonder oil prevents cataracts and promotes eye health.
Delicious Nutty Flavour:
The crunchy and nutty taste of sunflower seeds make them a must add to food items. You can add them to your daily diet and salads for a healthy snack. Add a pinch of health to your yoghurt, rice, pasta, sandwiches or make a mixture of healthy bread dough.
Heart Health:
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and prevents the oxidizing of cholesterol. This cholesterol if oxidized can stick to blood vessels and result in block arteries with chronic results like heart attack and stroke. A quarter cup each day of sunflower seeds is enough to keep away all your heart problems.
Healthy Immune System:
Zinc present in sunflower oil improves the immune system and speeds up the healing process of wounds.
Healthy Digestive System:
Improve your digestive system with sunflower oil enriched with B-vitamins. This helps in flushing out the toxins and produces energy in the system.
Improves Nervous System:
The magnesium found in sunflower acts as a nervous improving agent. It provides riddance from migraines, headache, soreness and high blood pressure. Muscle tension and fatigue is promptly treated with sunflower.
Prevents Free Radical Damage:
The Vitamin found in sunflower seeds prevents the growth of cancer causing free radicals and stops the further damage of brain cells and membranes. It maintains healthy blood flow and growth of blood cells.
Prevents Osteoporosis:
Looking out for protein rich food? Consume sunflower seeds to get your daily dosage of proteins. Hence it can be the best alternative for vegetarians who cannot consume other non-veg items.
Promotes Cell Formation:
Sunflower also constitutes folic acid, which helps in the production process of DNA for new cell formation. Folates are popularly recommended for pregnant women to ensure healthy growth of the baby in the womb. Hence the sunflower oil and seeds are considered as beneficiary for pregnant women.
Prevents Asthma:
Sunflower does wonders for an asthma patient by preventing its occurrence and curing blocked nose, cold and cough.
Stress Buster:
Sunflower seeds provide relief from stress and migraines thereby soothing up your mind. The components like tryptophan and choline curbs anxiety and depression. Choline speeds up the brain function and improves memory.
Zinc to Boost Fertility:
Owing to the large amount of Zinc found in sunflower seeds, both men and women are benefitted with regular consumption of it for boosting up their fertility. It is found that a deficiency of zinc in men can result in clumping of the sperms together. Hence it is useful for men suffering from infertility.
Simple ways to add sunflower to your diet:
- Add sunflower seeds to your evening snack like sandwiches, salads or sprinkle it on your favourite wrap.
- Include them in your breakfast by adding some amount in oatmeal or breakfast cereal.
- Go simple and snack on raw sunflower seeds daily for your vitamin and mineral intake.
- Create a perfect blend by adding the seeds to your smoothie or beverage.
The Sunflower is a treasure of health benefiting nutrients. Be it oil, sprouts or seeds, the flower has a cure for all ailments. Consume daily to reap the benefit and drop in your valuable comments and feedback.