THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS: AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

Sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus) is a miraculous oil seed crop which is cultivated globally for its seeds. Sunflower seeds, a nutrient dense food has been found to have a potential role in chronic inflammatory conditions, bacterial and fungal infections, cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases and even cancers. These benefits of sunflower seeds are attributed to the presence of phytosterols, unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, variety of vitamins and minerals. Various studies have demonstrated the therapeutic usefulness of sunflower seeds in multiple clinical conditions. This article is to give an overview about wide array of uses of sunflower seeds and to enlighten the therapeutic potential of cheap , accessible and easily available oil seed crop – ‘Sunflower’ in human beings.