Sunflower Seeds and Diabetes

If you’ve not given much thought to sunflower seeds and diabetes now is the time. When you have diabetes, you must monitor what you eat to control your blood sugar levels. Snacking is a good way to keep them stable, provided you’re choosing the right foods when snacktime arrives and are balancing them with the foods you eat for the rest of the day. 

When it comes to healthy snacks for diabetics, sunflower seeds are a pretty great choice. Why? Keep reading to find out. 

Nutrition of Sunflower Seeds

Even though you have diabetes and can’t always eat everything, you still need to cover your nutritional needs by eating a wide variety of healthy foods. Sunflower seeds can help you control your diabetes in a few ways.

They are rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that protects your heart. Since diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, it’s important to include foods that offer this protection. 

Additionally, some research indicates that sunflower seeds can help control blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics when consumed between meals. They also contain magnesium, a nutrient that is linked to diabetes prevention and management. 

What Quantity of Sunflower Seeds is Best for Diabetes?

A serving of sunflower seeds is one ounce. You can enjoy them in the shell, crack them yourself, or you can eat them already removed from the shell. Eating them in the shell helps slow down your consumption and can make it easier to control how many seeds you’re eating. 

Because seeds tend to be higher in calories than other snacks, stick to a single portion. 

Also, choose sunflower seeds that are low in sodium since too much salt can be harmful to your health, whether you have diabetes or not. 

How do Sunflower Seeds Benefit Diabetes?

Some research suggests that diabetics who eat one ounce of sunflower seeds each day can reduce their fasting blood sugar by as much as 10 percent in six months. 

The theory is that the plant compounds found in sunflower seeds do the job of lowering blood sugar. Other studies have found that adding sunflower seeds to bread can reduce the effect of carbohydrates on your blood sugar. At the same time, their fiber and protein content slow digestion, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable and prevents spikes that can lead to symptoms. Remember, you’ll get the most benefit from one serving per day, as more than that isn’t necessarily better. 

Are you thinking about sunflower seeds and diabetes now? Many diabetics worry that they can’t snack between meals. While it’s true that you’ll need to be more aware of what you eat than the average person, as long as you are doing so in a healthy way, a snack isn’t a bad thing. Sunflower seeds are an outstanding choice for many reasons, as long as you are only eating one serving. They taste great and they have many health benefits, so go ahead and stock your snack cupboard with sunflower seeds today.