Can You Eat Too Many Sunflower Seeds: 6 Potential Risks

Sunflower seeds are a great option for a snack. What’s even better is that they are pretty versatile: they can be eaten as a topping on a side, added to things like granola, or just eaten as a snack on their own on the go. But what many people don’t know is that you can actually eat too many sunflower seeds. The suggested serving size is about one to two ounces, which can be eaten perfectly safely. It’s when you go beyond this amount that you can get into a sticky situation. To learn more about sunflower seeds, check out the potential risks of eating too many of this tasty, salty snack.

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Excessive Fat Grams

Fat is a necessary component for your body, to maintain cell membranes and vitamin growth. Sunflower seeds are high in fat, healthy ones too, like poly and monounsaturated fats, which are good for cholesterol and cardiovascular health. But consuming too much of these fats can cause unwanted changes. Just one serving of raw sunflower seeds can have around 14 grams of fat. That is a whopping 22 percent of the daily recommended fat consumption. Going over this suggested amount can quickly cause weight gain, especially considering the fatty oils that the sunflower seeds are cooked in as well.

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Too Many Calories

Not only are sunflower seeds high in fat, but they are also high in calories too. Just one serving of sunflower seeds contains 164 calories. This is a high percentage of the recommended calories one should be consuming also. These additional calories are another reason that sunflower seeds can cause additional weight gain, so being sure to limit your sunflower seeds intake is a must.