Do sunflower and pumpkin seeds increase total cholesterol in the blood?

Any seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) are widely used in cooking on their own, or as an addition to salads and baked goods.
Some gourmets prefer to eat them raw, without heat treatment, which allows them to preserve all their beneficial qualities. This product contains a huge amount of various minerals, vitamins and microelements necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Moreover, sunflower and pumpkin seeds have similar properties.

Benefits for the body when included in the diet

Not everyone knows about the unique properties that seeds have, considering them to be useless food. In terms of nutritional value, they are many times superior to chicken eggs or meat and are quickly processed by the body. They are a real vitamin bomb, including a huge number of useful components.

Includes:

• B vitamins;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• selenium;
• ascorbic acid.

It is important to know that the seeds are very high in calories, and 100 g of product contains 53 g of fat, which equals 570 kcal. Despite the huge amount of fats, only a fifth of them are saturated lipids, and they do not contain cholesterol at all. This is due to the fact that cholesterol can only be formed from animal fats, which simply do not exist in plants.

But sunflower seeds contain a unique substance, phytosterol, which in composition and principle of action is very similar to “good” cholesterol (HDL). In the same way, it lowers the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and prevents its synthesis in liver cells.

In addition, thanks to their constituent components, they help quickly get rid of headaches, arrhythmia and tachycardia, reduce the risk of developing cancer, restore hormonal balance and endocrine functions. The antioxidants contained in them prevent the aging of the body, and their benefits are invaluable for the nervous system, because they improve the general condition of the skin, strengthen the heart muscle and vision. The beneficial qualities can be listed endlessly, but there are some nuances when their use is not desirable.

Pumpkin with water in a blender on an empty stomach. Healing recipes - 5 best

Pumpkin is a hypoallergenic product, and therefore complications from eating dishes based on it are practically eliminated.
At the same time, the effect it has, including due to its high fiber content, is truly unique. Below are several proven folk recipes used to cleanse blood vessels and comprehensively strengthen the cardiovascular system.

To relieve hypertension

Mix 200 grams of pumpkin pulp with 30 grams of sprouted wheat and the same amount of raisins, add honey. Grind all ingredients in a blender or meat grinder (except for honey - add it at the end). The resulting mixture is stirred and stored in the refrigerator. After this, eat a tablespoon of the resulting mass every morning on an empty stomach.

The period of admission is limited by the expiration date. The mass can be eaten constantly or used cyclically for ten days.

To lower bad cholesterol levels

Not only pumpkin pulp is beneficial for vascular health, but also other unsightly-looking parts: stalk, seeds, peel.

To prepare the decoction you will need just a pumpkin stalk (peduncle or tail). It must be crushed and boiled with two glasses of water. The resulting decoction is taken for 10 days.

When using traditional medicine recipes, it is imperative to consult with your doctor about the admissibility of such treatment.

General strengthening mixture

Mix pumpkin, lemon, honey in equal quantities and add nuts. Grind the resulting mixture in a blender or meat grinder. Cool and take a teaspoon three times a day, regardless of meals. There is no time limit for taking it, but it is important that the mixture remains fresh.

Juice

Pumpkin juice is extremely useful, especially in combination with carrot, onion, lemon or apple juice. This drink prevents many diseases.

Is it possible to eat seeds if you have high cholesterol?

Meanwhile, it has already been mentioned that seeds and cholesterol are not related concepts. Although abuse of such a high-calorie product can lead to a set of unnecessary pounds, which indirectly affects cholesterol levels.

Includes:

• 20% proteins;
• 53% fat;
• 4.5% fiber;
• 10% carbohydrates;
• 7.5% water.

If in sunflower seeds the main beneficial component is phytosterol, then in pumpkin seeds this role is played by polyunsaturated oleic acid, which helps reduce atherogenic fractions of cholesterol. That is why the seeds are indispensable for atherosclerosis, high levels of total cholesterol, and diabetes. But no more than 60 grams per day.

Any seeds contain a lot of fatty acids that normalize lipid metabolism. In addition, moderate consumption of the product protects cells from toxins and radicals and cleanses blood vessels of cholesterol deposits. A handful of seeds can completely meet the body’s daily needs for all the necessary microelements, vitamins and minerals.

Roasted sunflower seeds

It is important to understand that raw or oven-dried sunflower seeds have all the beneficial qualities, but not fried or salted ones.
During the heat treatment process, some of the useful components are lost without a trace. The high salt content in fried seeds contributes to increased blood pressure and the appearance of edema due to fluid retention in the body. A large percentage of sodium in salt leads to the development of cardiovascular pathologies.

Roasted seeds can severely damage tooth enamel and provoke an exacerbation of gastrointestinal ulcers. It is also interesting that the abuse of such a delicacy can lead to an excess of vitamin B6 in the body. This dangerous condition is called polyneuritis and is characterized by a sharp decrease in protein levels in the muscles, cramps and skin rash.

Pumpkin with water in a blender in the morning. Beneficial properties of smoothies

The cocktail has cleansing properties and nourishes the body with all useful substances. This form allows you to introduce vegetables into your menu that are rarely consumed in everyday life.

A smoothie can be used as a snack; it gives you energy and helps you reduce your intake of high-calorie foods. The advantage of the cocktail is that it can be prepared from one component or several. In this way, you can combine the beneficial properties of different vegetables and fruits. Smoothies are liked not only by adults, but also by children. It helps reduce cravings for sweets.

Many people believe that smoothies and squeezed juices are the same thing and their properties are identical. However, juices do not allow you to obtain all the available substances in full, since a sufficient amount of them remains in the cake. In addition, juices are quickly digested and sharply increase blood sugar levels. They are not recommended for people suffering from excess weight, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases and children.

A smoothie uses the entire product as it is simply ground into a drink. The cocktail contains all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats present in the ingredients used. Substances entering the body are absorbed more slowly, so blood sugar levels do not rise above acceptable values.

Possible harm and contraindications

Despite the obvious benefits, the product can also cause serious harm. This is due to the high calorie content of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, which not only leads to obesity, but also increases cholesterol levels.

Direct contraindications for use include intestinal or stomach ulcers, high acidity, and hypertension.

Salted and fried seeds should not be eaten even by completely healthy people, and with an increased level of low-density lipoproteins, they are absolutely excluded. For diabetes mellitus, during lactation and pregnancy, seeds are included in the diet carefully, in small portions. The main thing is not to fry or salt the product, but to eat it raw or slightly dried. Moreover, only freshly harvested seeds will be useful, but not last year’s.

Some historical facts

Sunflower is a crop brought to our country from the American continent. It first came to Europe during the time of Columbus and the Spanish conquistadors. Initially, it was classified as an ornamental plant, so it began to be eaten several centuries later. Sunflowers served as decoration for park areas and gardens.

In Russia, the plant began to be cultivated at the beginning of the 19th century. One peasant tried to extract oil from sunflower seeds. To do this, he used a hand press and carried out his plan. By the end of the 19th century, sunflower oil had become a popular product in Europe and in the historical homeland of the culture - America.

Daily norm

Most of the unique healing properties will be preserved in the seeds when dried outside, in the open sun. They are first carefully sorted and washed, and after complete drying, they are packaged in fabric bags for further storage.

You should not buy and eat already peeled seeds, because it is the husk that can protect healthy fats from oxidation. The maximum daily intake of seeds (both pumpkin and sunflower) is no more than 50-60 grams (without husks).

Composition of sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds contain substances that strengthen arteries and blood vessels

To understand whether you can eat seeds if you have cholesterol, you need to familiarize yourself in detail with the chemical composition of the product. Sunflower seeds contain a lot of useful substances that contribute to the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, stabilize blood quality, and improve metabolic processes in the body.

Chemical composition of seeds per 100 g:

1. vitamins (A, B1-B9, B12, PP, C, D, E);
2. trace elements (zinc, iron, selenium, manganese);
3. macroelements (phosphorus, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium);
4. proteins – up to 22 g;
5. fats – up to 67 g;
6. carbohydrates – up to 17 g.

Nutritional value depends on the variety of seeds. The energy value is approximately 600 kcal per 100 g.

Sunflower seeds have no cholesterol. Cholesterol is found exclusively in foods of animal origin. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol.

Pumpkin seeds and cholesterol

Just like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds not only do not contain cholesterol, but also effectively reduce its levels in the body. This essential product is a source of a large number of different fatty acids, fiber, proteins, folates, vitamins and mineral components. In addition, pumpkin seeds are widely used in folk recipes as an anti-inflammatory agent for genitourinary pathologies, prostate hyperplasia, etc.

Eating them if you have high cholesterol is not only possible, but also necessary. Thanks to their unique qualities, they perfectly cleanse the body of LDL, already formed in the vessels of cholesterol plaques.

Do not forget about moderation and correct use. You cannot fry or salt them, but it is best to rinse fresh seeds, soak them overnight in cold water, and peel and eat them in the morning. Just 60 grams per day will completely cover the daily requirement of almost all substances necessary for the body.

Both pumpkin and sunflower seeds do not contain cholesterol, but contribute to its rapid removal from the body. In moderate quantities, they contain the full daily dose of the basic microelements and vitamins necessary for the body. You should not eat salted or fried seeds, but preference should be given to dried or raw ones.

Folk remedies

Reducing high cholesterol using folk remedies brings good results when combined with a low-calorie, cholesterol-free diet

Pumpkin seeds