After meals, people often snack on sunflower seeds to pass the time, but you might not have thought that these small seeds can also prevent chapped hands and feet in the cold season.
Sunflower seeds are one of the foods richest in vitamin E, an excellent antioxidant that helps maintain the normal function of nerves and muscle tissue, making the capillary walls more stable. This allows for the restoration of smooth blood circulation that was previously stagnant. Therefore, it helps prevent chapped hands and feet and the formation of dark spots. At the same time, sunflower seeds are also relatively high in calories; every 100 grams (shelled) contains about 610 kilocalories, which is higher than the calories in an equal weight of rice, pork, lamb, or chicken, and can help withstand the cold climate.
Medical research shows that sensitivity to cold is related to a deficiency of minerals in the diet, and sunflower seeds are also rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium. In addition, the cold season is a time when cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are more common, and sunflower seeds are rich in linoleic acid, which can help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis. American biological research has also confirmed that sunflower seeds can assist in treating depression, neurasthenia, insomnia, and can also enhance human memory.
It should be noted that because sunflower seeds are high in calories, they should not be consumed in large quantities, with 50 grams per day being appropriate. Obese people should pay special attention. Furthermore, excessive consumption of sunflower seeds can deplete the body's choline, affecting the normal physiological function of liver cells. Therefore, patients with hepatitis or cirrhosis should best avoid eating sunflower seeds.