The seeds contain all the necessary building blocks for plants to grow. As a result, they are exceptionally fit.
Seeds have a lot of fiber. They also have a lot of good vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fats that are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
If you eat seeds as part of a healthy diet, they can help lower your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
This piece will talk about seven of the healthiest seeds you can eat and why they are good for you.
The healthiest seeds should be added to your diet.
1. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds contain many of the same nutrients as flaxseeds. These include fiber, omega-3 fats, and other nutrients.
One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds contains the following:
- Calories: 137
- Fiber: 10.6 grams
- Protein: 4.4 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.6 grams
- Omega-3 fats: 4.9 grams
- Omega-6 fats: 1.6 grams
- Thiamine (vitamin B1): 15% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 30% of the RDI
- Manganese: 30% of the RDI
Chia seeds, like flaxseeds, have a lot of polyphenols, which are important antioxidants.
ALA levels in the blood can rise when you eat chia seeds, which is an interesting finding. ALA is a key omega-3 fatty acid that can help lower swelling and pain.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are omega-3 fats that you can get from oily fish. Your body can change ALA into these other omega-3 fats. However, this process of change in the body doesn’t work very well most of the time.
One study found that chia seeds might be able to raise the amount of EPA in the blood.
It’s possible that chia seeds can also help lower blood sugar. There have been a few studies that show that both whole and ground chia seeds can lower blood sugar right after a meal.
Another study found that chia seeds may make you feel less hungry in addition to lowering blood sugar.
Also, chia seeds may lower the chances of getting heart disease.
When 20 people with type 2 diabetes ate 37 grams of chia seeds every day for 12 weeks, their blood pressure and amounts of several inflammatory chemicals, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), went down.
2. Flaxseeds
Linseeds, also known as flaxseeds, are an excellent source of fiber and omega-3 fats, particularly ALA.
The omega-3 fats, on the other hand, are in the seed’s tough outer shell, which is hard for people to digest.
So, ground flaxseeds are the best way to get more omega-3s.
Flaxseeds, weighing 1 ounce (28 grams), contain a variety of nutrients, including
- Calories: 152
- Fiber: 7.8 grams
- Protein: 5.2 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 2.1 grams
- Omega-3 fats: 6.5 grams
- Omega-6 fats: 1.7 grams
- Manganese: 35% of the RDI
- Thiamine (vitamin B1): 31% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 28% of the RDI
Flaxseeds are rich in polyphenols, particularly lignans. These are powerful vitamins that the body needs.
Folic acid, fiber, and omega-3 fats found in flaxseeds can all help lower cholesterol and other things that put you at risk for heart disease.
One large study combined the findings of 28 smaller studies and discovered that eating flaxseeds reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by an average of 10 mmol/l.
Blood pressure may also go down if you eat flaxseeds. We looked at eleven studies and found that eating whole flaxseeds every day for more than 12 weeks could lower blood pressure.
A few studies have shown that women with breast cancer may be able to reduce signs of tumor growth by eating flaxseeds. Eating flaxseeds may also lower the risk of getting cancer.
This may have something to do with flaxseeds. Estrogen, a female sex hormone, has a relationship with plant hormones called lignans. Guys with prostate cancer have also seen the same benefits.
Flaxseeds may help lower blood sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. They may also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.
3. Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are a great way to get nutrition without meat. In fact, they have a lot of important nutrients and more than 30% protein.
Few plants are full protein sources, which means they have all the amino acids your body needs but can’t make itself. One of those plants is hemp seed.
Hemp seeds have better protein quality than most other plant-based protein sources, according to studies.
One ounce (28 grams) of hemp seeds contains the following:
- Calories: 155
- Fiber: 1.1 grams
- Protein: 8.8 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.6 grams
- Polyunsaturated fat: 10.7 grams
- Magnesium: 45% of the RDI
- Thiamine (vitamin B1): 31% of the RDI
- Zinc: 21% of the RDI
Hemp seed oil has about three times as many omega-6 fats as omega-3 fats, which is a good amount. Hemp seeds are also rich in gamma-linolenic acid, a significant fatty acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
This is why a lot of people use products with hemp seed oil.
Hemp raising the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood, hemp seed oil may be good for heart health.
Omega-3 fatty acids may also help people with eczema feel better because they reduce inflammation.
One study discovered that taking hemp seed oil pills for 20 weeks made people with eczema’s skin less dry and itchy. On average, they used less skin medicines.
4. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seed is one type of seed that people eat a lot of. They are high in calcium and contain healthy fats like omega-6 and monounsaturated fats.
What are the nutrients in a 1-ounce (28-gram) dose of pumpkin seeds?
- Calories: 151
- Fiber: 1.7 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 4 grams
- Omega-6 fats: 6 grams
- Manganese: 42% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 37% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 33% of the RDI
Pumpkin seeds also contain large amounts of plant compounds called phytosterols. These compounds may help lower blood cholesterol.
People say that these seeds are good for you in many ways, probably because they have a lot of different nutrients.
A study that looked at more than 8,000 people found that those who ate more pumpkin and sunflower seeds had a much lower risk of getting breast cancer. Because they lower the amount of calcium in pee, pumpkin seeds may help lower the risk of bladder stones in children.
Kidney stones and bladder stones are the same thing. They occur when certain chemicals crystallize in the bladder, causing the stomach to hurt.
Several studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil can help people with prostate and bladder problems.
These studies also found that pumpkin seed oil may help men with enlarged prostates live better lives and lessen the signs of an overactive bladder.
Researchers who looked at women who had gone through menopause also found that pumpkin seed oil may help lower blood pressure, raise “good” HDL cholesterol, and ease the signs of menopause.
5. Sesame Seeds
People in Asia and the West eat sesame seeds whole or mixed into a paste called tahini.
Like many other seeds, they have a lot of different nutrients. Sesame seeds contain the following nutrients in one ounce (28 grams):
- Calories: 160
- Fiber: 3.3 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 5.3 grams
- Omega-6 fats: 6 grams
- Copper: 57% of the RDI
- Manganese: 34% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 25% of the RDI
Sesame seeds, like flaxseeds, contain a lot of lignans, particularly a type called sesamin. Sesame seeds are the most well-known lignan food source.
A few interesting studies have found that the bacteria in your gut may change sesamin from sesame seeds into enterolactone, which is a different type of lignan.
Enterolactone can work like the sex hormone estrogen, and heart disease and breast cancer have been linked to having less of this lignan in the body than usual.
In a different study, older women who ate 50 grams of sesame seed powder every day for five weeks had much lower blood cholesterol and better sex hormone levels.
Sesame seeds may also help to lower inflammation and oxidative stress, two things that can make the signs of many diseases, like arthritis, worse.
In one study, people with knee osteoarthritis who ate about 40 grams of sesame seed powder every day for two months had a lot less of the chemicals in their blood that cause inflammation.
A new study discovered that semi-professional athletes who ate about 40 grams of sesame seed powder every day for 28 days had much less muscle damage and oxidative stress, as well as more aerobic ability.
6. Sunflower Seeds
There is a good amount of protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E in sunflower seeds. These things are in one ounce (28 grams) of sunflower seeds:
- Calories: 164
- Fiber: 2.4 grams
- Protein: 5.8 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 5.2 grams
- Omega-6 fats: 6.4 grams
- Vitamin E: 47% of the RDI
- Manganese: 27% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 23% of the RDI
People in their 40s and 50s may have less inflammation when they eat sunflower seeds, which may help lower their risk of heart disease.
Eating a lot of nuts and seeds was associated with less inflammation, according to a study that examined over 6,000 people.
Eating sunflower seeds more than five times a week was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a crucial chemical in inflammation.
A different study asked women over 50 with type 2 diabetes if eating nuts and seeds affected their blood cholesterol levels.
For three weeks, the women ate 30 grams of walnuts or sunflower seeds per day as a healthy food.
The total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels dropped in both the almond and sunflower seed groups by the end of the study. The blood triglycerides went down more on the sunflower seed diet than on the almond diet, though.
However, “good” HDL cholesterol also went down, indicating that sunflower seeds may lower both types of cholesterol.
The bottom line
Seeds have a lot of good fats, fiber, protein from plants, and antioxidants called polyphenols.
They can also help lower the risk of getting some illnesses. Some nuts contain lignans, which may help lower cholesterol and the risk of cancer.
Seeds are a simple way to add healthy nutrients to your diet. They are easy to add to soups, yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.
