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Can I Eat Sunflower Seeds While Intermittent Fasting?

can i eat sunflower seeds while intermittent fasting

If you are wondering whether or not you can eat sunflower seeds while you are intermittent fasting, then you’re in luck. Today we will be exploring the subject of eating sunflower seeds during intermittent fasting.

So, What’s the Verdict?

Can I Eat Sunflower Seeds while intermittent fasting or Not?

It depends on what you are asking. If you are wondering whether or not you are allowed to eat sunflower seeds during your intermittent fast then the answer is no.

During your fasting period, no solid foods may be eaten. Only drinks with no calories, like water and coffee, may be ingested during this fasting period.

Sunflower seeds are a solid food and thus cannot be eaten during the fasting period.

But if you are trying to see if you can eat sunflower seeds during your eating or feeding window, then the answer is a resounding yes.

Let’s go on to see exactly why this is true.

Sunflower seeds pack a great deal of nutrition. This makes them an excellent choice to add to your eating plan.

But more importantly, sunflower seeds contain plenty of healthy fats, both polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. These fats are important for cardiovascular health.

But they also serve a purpose more relevant to intermittent fasting: fats help to keep you full, sated, for longer periods of time.

This means that if you incorporate sunflower seeds into your diet during the eating or feeding window, you will stay full longer and will not be so hungry during the fasting period.

This, in turn, lessens the chance of your being tempted to break your fast.

What Are Some of the Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds?

Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds, as we mentioned earlier, are chock full of healthy fats, which will help to keep you sated a bit longer and reduce the risk of your breaking your fast during the fasting period.

The seeds are also packed with numerous vitamins and minerals as well as a number of beneficial compounds found in plants.

The nutrients and vitamins found in sunflower seeds play a potential role in lessening your risk for a number of ubiquitous health problems, such as type II diabetes as well as heart disease.

So what exactly do sunflower seeds contain?

One ounce of dry roasted, shelled sunflower seeds contains the following in terms of its nutritional value:

Calories: 163
Total fat, which includes: 14 grams
Polyunsaturated fat 9.2 grams
Saturated fat 1.5 grams
Monounsaturated fat 2.7 grams
Fiber 3 grams
Carbs 6.5 grams
Protein 5.5 grams
Niacin 10% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Vitamin E 37% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Vitamin B6 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Pantothenic acid 20% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Folate 17% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Iron 6% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Zinc 10% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Magnesium 9% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Copper 26% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Selenium 32% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Manganese 30% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)

As you can see from the above list, sunflower seeds are particularly high in selenium as well as in Vitamin E.

These nutrients are antioxidants which function to safeguard the cells in your body from damage caused by free radicals, which play a role in many diseases.

A number of beneficial and healthy plant compounds can also be found in sunflower seeds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, compounds which also serve as antioxidants.

The nutrients found in sunflower seeds may assist in lowering cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Links to various other benefits for one’s health have been shown by a number of studies.

Sunflower seeds have been shown to limit inflammation, heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes.

In short, sunflower seeds have a ton of benefits, and you would be wise to eat them during your eating window as you are intermittently fasting.

nutrients and vitamins found in sunflower seeds

Plus, as we said before, they will also serve to keep you full for a longer period of time, so you won’t be as hungry when you are in your fasting period!

But remember that sunflower seeds are relatively high in calories and may be high in sodium as well, so it is best not to eat too much more than 1 ounce (1 serving) of sunflower seeds per day.

If you stick to this, you will be well on your way to experiencing the benefits of both intermittent fasting and sunflower seeds!

What Happens If You Eat Too Many Sunflower Seeds?

Due to their relatively high caloric content and their sodium content (especially coating the shells), eating too many sunflower seeds can lead to the ingestion of too many calories and thus unnecessary weight gain.

Also, if you eat salted sunflower seeds, eating too many can cause you to take in too much sodium, which can have a detrimental effect on your health.

Even if the kernels themselves do not have added salt, the sunflower shells are oftentimes coated with over 2,500 mg of sodium, which is not reflected in the nutritional facts (since the shells are not the edible portion).

Sunflower seeds also contain relatively high levels of cadmium, which may cause harm to one’s kidneys if exposed to excess amounts over a lengthy period of time.

To limit your exposure to cadmium, try to limit your intake of sunflower seeds to approximately one ounce per day (thirty grams).

Can Sunflower Seeds Upset Your Stomach?

will Sunflower Seeds Upset Your Stomach

In general, sunflower seeds will not upset your stomach.

In fact, they are rich in potassium, which can help to get rid of a bloated stomach.

However, in certain situations, sunflower seeds may upset your stomach and/or digestive tract.

If you suffer from diverticulitis, it is possible that the tiny seeds may obstruct those pockets that form and cause irritation or infection.

Also, there is a possibility that the phytic acid content in sunflower seeds may cause your stomach to become upset.

If you find that sunflower seeds irritate your stomach or your digestive tract, you should consider not eating them.

If they do not, then it is likely safe to continue eating them as you please.

Can You Eat Raw Sunflower Seeds?

can i eat sunflower seeds raw

You can definitely eat raw sunflower seeds if you want to. Despite a myth stating otherwise, raw sunflower seeds are not poisonous to humans in any way.

They are even non-toxic for cats, dogs, and horses.

The raw version of the sunflower seeds is typically the least processed kind. So if you like the taste of raw sunflower seeds, then go for it!

What Can You Eat During The Fasting Period Of Intermittent Fasting?

No solid food should be eaten during the fasting period of intermittent fasting (not even sunflower seeds).

Only beverages with zero calories, such as water and coffee, may be ingested during the fasting period of intermittent fasting.