THE SECRETS IN THE SEEDS Seeds contain a variety of nutrients including amino acids, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, fibre, and minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc. Research has linked consumption of seeds to a wide range of health benefits, including improved cardiovascular, digestive, immune and bone health, as well as blood sugar balancing and appetite regulation.
Given that seeds are the starting point of the life of plants, it makes sense that they are a great source of nutrition.
It’s easy to add seeds into your diet, simply add to granola or top your cereal, salad, soup, smoothie or yoghurt with a sprinkle of seeds for an instant health boost. Be sure to mix your seed consumption up for the best health benefits, and eat a wide, varied and balanced diet to ensure optimum nutrition. Here we pick out our favourite seeds, and share with you their super health properties.
Try: Organic Traditions Black Sesame Seeds
with your favourite sweet or savoury spices. Enjoy on their own or add to smoothies, yoghurt, baking recipes, or salads. Try: Organic Traditions Pumpkin Kernels
Black Sesame Seeds With a rich nutty flavour, you may be used to seeing these as an outer coating on certain sushi rolls, or sprinkled on Asian noodle and rice dishes. Black sesame seeds are commonly used in Ayurveda to help manage cholesterol, and offer a good source of certain B-vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of copper and manganese. A study of people with high blood pressure found that after one month of consuming 2.5g of black sesame seeds daily (in powdered capsule form), they experience a 6% decrease in systolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group [1]. Top tips for black sesame seeds: add some nutty flavour to salads, or use as a condiment and sprinkle on your Pan -Asian dishes.
Pumpkin Seeds Pumpkin seeds are a good source of vitamin K and essential minerals including phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and potassium. They also contain antioxidants, a considerable amount of polyunsaturated fats, vitamin B2 and folate. Diets rich in pumpkin seeds have been linked to reduced risk of certain cancers, including stomach, breast, lung, prostate and colon, and one study of 35 postmenopausal women found that pumpkin seed oil consumption reduced diastolic blood pressure by 7% whilst raising HDL cholesterol levels by 16% [2]. Top tips for pumpkin seeds: soak or sprout in order to reduce phytic acid content, then roast 36
Baru Seeds Baru seeds contain considerable amounts of essential fatty acids, fibre, and protein as well as an array of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, zinc and vitamin C. Research shows that they also contain a host of ‘antioxidants’; natural compounds shown to help prevent the damage caused by oxidative stress. For athletes, paleo or keto diet followers, baru seeds are a fantastic addition to meals, not only because of their complete amino acid profile but also because of their lower calorific value and fat
