Sunflower seed b3utter is in the market. It is a creamy nutritious spread made from sunflower seeds that we all know are healthy.
It has a mild flavor and is a peanut butter substitute for people with peanut of tree nut allergy.
Benefits of sunflower seed butter
Sunflower butter or sunflower seed butter is derived from sunflower seeds. It has a lot of health benefits. These include its great ability to fight body inflammation. It has healthy fats and no cholesterol.
Therefore, it is beneficial to lower blood cholesterol.
Sunflower butter has a lot of proteins in it. 1 table spoon gives 3 grams of protein. It makes you feel full and can prevent food cravings in between meals. It is a good choice for athletes and those who want to build muscles.
This butter has adequate fiber and magnesium. Fiber helps in blood sugar regulation. And magnesium improves insulin sensitivity.
Therefore sunflower butter is good for diabetic patients. It helps them in smoother control of their blood sugar levels. For the same reason, it can also prevent development of diabetes in susceptible people.
Additionally, it is rich in calcium and potassium. Hence it dilates blood vessels and arteries and prevents rise in blood pressure. Therefore, it can be consumed by hypertension patients.
Other benefits and uses
Sunflower butter has calcium and magnesium. Both help in strong bones and teeth. A single tablespoon of this butter provides 12% of the daily requirements of magnesium.
It also has phosphorus and copper both of which play a vital role in bone mineralization. It has manganese to fight osteoporosis.
The butter also has vitamin E. This makes the hair shiny and healthy. It also gives strength to the nails and helps their growth. A single serving of 1 tablespoon of the butter provides 25% of the daily needs of vitamin E.
Potassium and iron improves hair follicle blood flow and makes hair stronger and healthier. Vitamin E is also good for skin.
Sunflower butter assists in restful sleep due to the magnesium in it. It lessens cortisol and stress and increases serotonin. They also have tryptophan that aids sleep. The butter decreases hunger and improves weight loss. They can be had by people suffering from nut allergies.
You can use it as spreads on breads, flat breads, biscuits, cookies, or add to sweet snacks. You can thicken broths with this butter. One can make a savory snack of it.
It can be used in making sauce and dips. It can be put over jam muffins or green pistachio muffins. One can add it to make chocolates and fudges.
Sunflower butter vs peanut butter
Sunflower butter has four times more vitamin E and iron compared to peanut butter. In addition, it also contains more manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.
In peanut butter, there is added oils. Hence it has more saturated fat than sunflower butter. The latter has more monounsaturated days and is therefore healthier.
Read more: Peanut butter: day, nutritive values, health advantages, and allergies!
Peanut butter has slightly more protein in it compared to sunflower butter. The former’s calories are also less. Sunflower butter has a thicker texture and milder earthy taste. Its sugar content is half that of peanut butter.