"He said to me about them, among other things: ‘that — ... that's... the flower’. You know that Jeannin has the peony, Quost has the hollyhock, but I have the sunflower, in a way."
— Vincent Van Gogh
The sunflower not only provides us with nutritious and delicious seeds, but also inspiration for artists from vincent van gogh to ai wei wei
Kui Hua Zi
Contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is known to communicate his views on politics through his artwork. One of his most well-known pieces, Kui Hua Zi, consists of over 100 million tiny handmade porcelain sunflower seeds, a commentary on mass production techniques that China uses to cater to the West.
who is the mightiest seed?
Chia, hemp and flax seeds all have more Omega-3 fatty acids than sunflower seeds. So why eat sunflower seeds? Compared to those three, sunflower seeds are richer in vitamins and minerals and, perhaps more importantly, they are tastier than those three seeds. At the end of the day, different seeds provide different health benefits which is why eating a variety of seeds is important.
satiety
For those of us trying to watch our food intake, snacking can pose a serious threat (chips, bubble tea, kaya toast…). One way of getting around that is to eat foods that fill you up without having to eat a lot. Sunflower seeds are high in good calories which help reduce hunger pangs and induce satiety in your body.
boost your potassium
Decreased stroke risk, lower blood pressure, reduced muscle mass loss, preservation of bone density and reduced risk of kidney stones are just some of the benefits of having enough potassium in one’s diet. While nuts and seeds typically do not have as much potassium as fruits, sunflower seeds are one of the exceptions. A handful of sunflower seeds can give a small boost to your daily potassium intake.
SUNFLOWER HEART
The sunflower seed is actually the fruit of the sunflower. The term "sunflower seed" is a bit of a misnomer when applied to the seed in its pericarp (hull). Botanically speaking, it is a cypsela. When dehulled, the edible remainder is called the sunflower kernel or heart.