5 Science-Backed Ways Sunflowers Can Make You Healthier
By: Madelyn Brown
Tags: Eating, Nature, Tea, Health, Wellness

Photo by Gérôme Bruneau on Unsplash

Sunflowers aren’t just for brightening up your Instagram. This radiant flower has long been used worldwide for its varied healing benefits.

Note: These are general wellness tips and should not be used to replace a consultation with your doctor.

The common sunflower (Helianthos annus) is so beautiful, it’s no wonder we named it after our celestial life force the sun. From skin treatments to heart health, there’s so much to benefit from beneath those pretty yellow petals.

1. Cooking with Sunflower Oil for Heart Health

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Sunflower oil results from compressing the tiny and mighty sunflower seeds. It has a neutral taste and adapts well to high-temperature cooking, making it a healthier option for frying foods.

But what makes it healthy? According to LiveScience, sunflower oil has a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats when compared to other cooking oils, and it also contains a significant amount of monounsaturated fat. This is significant because studies show that people who limit the intake of bad fat (trans fats and saturated fats) and replace them with the good polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats have shown reduced levels of cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

Dietary fats in the form of canola oil or sunflower oil effectively lower the serum cholesterol, LDL-C and triglyceride concentrations. They also result in an increase in serum concentration of HDL-C. — Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran

So, put down the vegetable oil (which vegetables are in vegetable oil, anyway?), and look to sunflower oil for your heart-healthy cooking.

2. Sunflower Oil for Skin Glow and Protection

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While many skincare enthusiasts hold fast and true to the old belief that all oils clog pores, scientific studies are showing otherwise. To be fair, it all depends on what type of oil you apply to your skin.

Sunflower oil is a highly absorbent emollient (meaning it will soften rough patches of skin) that also works to repair the skin’s barrier. In a 2012 study, participants applied either sunflower oil or olive oil to their skin twice a day for four weeks. The sunflower oil group’s skin barrier was found to be repaired, while the olive oil group’s skin showed further damage.

Sunflower seed oil preserved stratum corneum integrity, did not cause erythema, and improved hydration in the same volunteers. In contrast to sunflower seed oil, topical treatment with olive oil significantly damages the skin barrier, and therefore has the potential to promote the development of, and exacerbate existing, atopic dermatitis. — University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK

Sunflower oil is also packed with Vitamin E, which helps fortify, protect, and heal damaged skin cells.

3. Relieve Insect Bites with Ground Leaves

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According to Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians, Native Americans would make a sunflower tea by grinding the leaves and using the drink to treat everything from fevers and lung ailments to bring relief to an irritating and itchy bug bite.

Today, some skip the tea and simply apply a sunflower leaf poultice to alleviate insect bites.

Here’s a warm, sweet recipe for a cup of sunflower tea.

4. Eat Sunflower Petals and the Bloom

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Sunflowers can be harvested for food too. Simply cut the buds before they have bloomed and trim off any foliage. Then you can choose your own sunflower salad adventure — sautee, grill, or bake the buds using olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Many have likened cooked sunflower buds to artichoke.

For a truly vitamin-dense summer salad, garnish your meal with a sprinkling of sunflower petals. This simple dish will nourish your body with Vitamin A, C, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorous, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Of course, be wary of eating sunflower buds if you aren’t familiar with the flower’s surroundings or if you aren’t sure if the plant has been doused in pesticides.

5. Health Benefits of Eating Sunflower Seeds

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I would be remiss if I didn’t pay proper homage to the iconic summertime snack — the humble sunflower seed. People eat sunflower seeds when they try to lose weight or quit smoking. See, sunflower seeds just want us to be the best versions of ourselves.

But sunflower seeds are also healthy to snack on even when we’re not in the process of breaking major bad habits.

The common sunflower seed, grown and consumed worldwide, supplies a multitude of nutritious components including protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins (especially E), selenium, copper, zinc, folate, iron, and more. — Chemistry Central Journal

So, roast it, shuck it, spit it, crush it, as long as you’re snacking on this classic seed, you’re doing right by yourself.

The next time you’re frolicking in a field of sunflowers, consider the healing power in every part of that plant. And there’s no harm in showing your appreciation for its beauty with a selfie too.