We are often told that seeds are considered a superfood or booster food -- but what is it about these small seeds that make them so mighty? Nutritionally dense, these seeds, which include flax, sesame, hemp, chia, sunflower, and pumpkin, among others are essential to our diet.
So what makes seeds so essential?
Seeds offer a full range of amino acids, with approximately 12 – 25% of their caloric content in protein and with 56% – 75% of their calories as healthy fat (USDA, 2013). They provide high levels of essential fatty acids — those fats that our bodies need by can't produce on their own. EFA's are good for your skin, nourish your glands, improve memory, mood, fat burning, and relieve inflammation of the mucous membranes and joints. Additionally, most seeds provide an excellent magnesium:calcium ratio, vitamin E and flavonoids.
So let's talk about a few of my faves:
Hemp: has protein and healthy fats, hemp seeds are also packed with manganese, vitamin B, E, iron, zinc and magnesium. They contain a fiber called lignans which binds excess bile, cholesterol, estrogen, and cortisol.
Benefits: loaded with antioxidants, protects against chronic disease, supports skin health, promotes muscle growth.
Chia: provide an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Just 1oz of chia contains 10g of fiber. This insoluble fiber acts as a prebiotic that feeds friendly gut bacteria and ferments into short-chain fatty acids to support gut health. Chia seeds also contain more protein than most plant foods and contain more calcium than milk.
Benefits: high in plant-based protein, strengthen bones, improves heart health and prevent constipation.
Flax: are another great source of omega-3 fats, dietary fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. Flaxseeds have powerful, anti-cancer, hormone-balancing phytonutrients. Whole flaxseeds are preferred to flax oil for their complete nutritional package, EFAs, pro-vitamin A, B complex, vitamin E, minerals magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc, and naturally occurring enzymes.
Benefits: helps promote regularity (from constipation to leaky gut), migraines, improves weight loss, colitis, depression, asthma, and fights cancer.
Sunflower: High in trace mineral selenium, thiamine, manganese, and Vitamin E.
Benefits: keeps skin healthy, reduces inflammation, maintains healthy cholesterol level. and lowers blood sugar.
Pumpkin: Vitamin A, K, and magnesium, and phosphorus. High in the trace mineral (a mineral that your body needs by only in small amounts) zinc. Full of healthy fats and protein, but they’re also rich in manganese.
Benefits: good source of antioxidants, enhances regularity, high in plant-based protein, and helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia.
Sesame: a valuable source of protein, vitamin E, and the important minerals calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Sesame is used to relieve constipation, hemorrhoids, and urinary infections. In Chinese medicine, sesame seeds are warming, demulcent, and friendly to the lung and large intestine. Bursting with important vitamins and minerals, such as copper, manganese, calcium and magnesium. Beware of hulled white sesame seeds, as they are typically rancid.
Benefits: promotes healthy blood cell formation, strengthens bones, good source of protein, reduces blood pressure, and protects against anemia.
By eating seeds regularly, blood sugar becomes more regular, fat burning is more active, allergies are less bothersome, hormones begin to balance, and cell membranes become more receptive to insulin. Seeds complete their healing ways with a generous supply of other minerals, including zinc, potassium, and chromium. As protein sources, organic seeds contain less of the harmful pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and antibiotics fed to commercial cows, chickens, and now even farm-raised fish.
There are so many easy ways to get them in our diet. Seeds can be sprouted, lightly roasted (250° F), ground up into a powder, and cooked into bakery products. Seeds are complementary to all foods. You can add them to smoothies, puddings or on top of coconut yogurt with berries. You can add them to salads, soups, and stews. But don’t stop there.
1 to 2 tbsp of seeds per meal will provide a significant amount of nutrient density.
Note that flax, chia, and hemp seeds, due to their omega-3 content, should not be heated.
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