Can You Eat Too Many Sunflower Seeds: 6 Potential Risks (2 of 3)

Unnatural Additives and Ingredients

You may think that sunflower seeds are all-natural and don’t have extra ingredients. It’s just a handful of sunflower seeds right? That is not necessarily the case. If you are eating raw, uncooked sunflower seeds, then additional ingredients is not a scenario you have to worry about. But if you are eating roasted or flavored seeds, then you will likely also be consuming additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG) or other ingredients like this. Many times it will be listed as “natural” ingredients, that could be any kind of chemical food additive under the sun. MSG is linked to many unwanted conditions, like obesity, chest pain, fatigue, depression, and racing heart.

Excess Salt

Another danger of consuming too many sunflower seeds is the salt intake. Sunflower seeds are not naturally salty, but many manufacturers douse sunflower seeds in salt. Health experts say that just one ounce of toasted and salted sunflower seeds can contain up to 174 milligrams of sodium. With a recommended intake of 1500 milligrams a day, too many sunflower seeds can quickly take you over this amount. The dangers of too much sodium are very high, such as heart disease, stroke, stomach cancer, and kidney disease. Consuming sunflower seeds that are unsalted or low in sodium can greatly decrease your risk of developing these conditions.