Pumpkin Seeds vs Sunflower Seeds: Which is Healthier?
We have seen the popularity of pumpkin and sunflower seeds rise among the health-conscious demographic, and rightfully so. The benefits of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are immense, and if consumed in the right quantity, they have a lot to offer.
Moreover, their tastes can be appreciated quite a lot when thrown into a smoothie bowl, custards, or cakes and cookies. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are often consumed as snacks or added to meals.
In this article, we will detail pumpkin seeds vs sunflower seeds: their taste, origin, texture, health benefits, nutritional value, protein content, and amino acid profile.
Through these, we will try to determine a clear winner to help you choose between the two. Let’s understand sunflower and pumpkin seeds and see if they can be used interchangeably.
Classification For Pumpkin seeds vs Sunflower Seeds
We have classified pumkin seeds and sunflower based on various categories listed below
1. Origin
Pumpkin seeds are considered to have been first discovered in North America. It was widely used by North Americans, though actual pumpkin seeds have been found in Mexico and can be traced as far back as 7000 BC. Pumpkin seeds have been an integral part of sustenance and medical attention throughout history.
As for sunflower seeds, they have been quite common among the American Indian tribes across North America. According to some evidence, the plant was cultivated in present-day Arizona and New Mexico around 3000 BC. There’s more proof to the fact that sunflower might have been domesticated prior to corn.
2. Taste
Pumpkin seeds are mostly crunchy and salty, with a nutty undertone that adds an earthy touch to these healthy snacks. They can be added to smoothies and custards as a means to introduce some crunch along with the viscosity of the rest of the drink or dessert. They can be toasted or roasted to add a charred flavor to the crunchiness.
As for sunflower seeds, you might expect a mild, nutty flavor once again. Nuts and seeds of these kinds usually tend to carry along an earthy and nutty taste. You can roast sunflower seeds to enhance the flavor or even have them raw. They are obtained from the large flower heads of the sunflower plant.
3. Texture
Pumpkin seeds tend to have a malleable and chewy texture that does not break if snapped so much as it is bent. They are nutty and crunchy, both roasted and raw. These typically oval seeds have an asymmetrically oval shape, a white outer husk, and happen to be slightly light green in color.
Black or grayish sunflower seeds tend to have a tender texture along with their nutty flavor. One more thing that makes sunflower seeds stand out is their high oil content. Sold shelled or unshelled, they can be consumed alone or as a snack. They are often added to various dishes to add a unique taste, nutritional benefits, and texture.
Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds vs Sunflower Seeds
The health benefits of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are immense. Here are a few things you will be improving with these seeds in your daily diet:
1. Cardiovascular Health
Sunflower seeds are packed with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for serum lipids. They lower the total cholesterol and low-density (bad) cholesterol levels, leading to a reduced risk of atherosclerosis.
Strict vegans, despite being at a lower risk of developing high cholesterol related health implications, are still not completely immune to it. Hence, it makes sense for them to include cholesterol-reducing foods in their diet.
Sunflower seeds also decrease the chances of myocardial ischemia, ventricular fibrillation, and arrhythmias. As for pumpkin seeds also have cardioprotective qualities such as reducing total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol levels.
2. Diabetes
Both pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds have been studied to harbor protective qualities against hyperglycemic disorders. The former is often recommended to those who have type 2 diabetes as a part of their blood glucose-lowering activities.
The same can be said about pumpkin seeds which can assist in maintaining glycemic control owing to a few components in them, such as nicotinic acid, trigonelline, and D-chiro inositol.
3. Cancer
Sunflower seeds have chemoprotective qualities as well, along with cytotoxic and antioxidant potential owing to a high flavonoids and phenolics content. As for pumpkin seeds also demonstrate cell growth-inhibiting effects on breasts, colon, and prostate cancers. In this regard, pumpkin seeds show a similar effect as that of flax seeds.
Nutritional Value Of Pumpkin And Sunflower Seeds
Here’s a table of the nutritional value posed by both pumpkin and sunflower seeds:
| Parameters | Pumpkin Seeds | Sunflower Seeds |
|---|---|---|
| Energy (kcal) | 559 | 584 |
| Sugars (g) | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 10.7 | 20.0 |
| Total Lipid (g) | 49.0 | 51.5 |
| Protein (g) | 30.2 | 20.8 |
| Fiber (g) | 6.0 | 8.6 |
Both the seeds have nearly a similar amount of calories and fat, though sunflower seeds tend to have double the carbohydrates and a little more fiber content. As for pumpkin seeds, they have significantly more protein in comparison to the former.
Protein Content in Pumpkin Seeds vs Sunflower Seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds offer no less than 5.3 grams of protein per ounce, and dried sunflower seeds provide around 21 grams of protein per 100 grams serving. The amino acid profile of sunflower seeds can often be varied, depending on the origin and quality, but in general it contains lysine from 0.56 to 0.66% and methionine ranging from 0.33 to 0.50%.
Here’s the amino acid profile of pumpkin seeds vs Sunflower seeds for per 100 grams serving:
| Name | Pumpkin Seeds | Sunflower Seeds |
|---|---|---|
| Alanine | 0.74 g | 1.16g |
| Isoleucine | 0.81 g | 1.139 g |
| Leucine | 2.30 g | 1.659 g |
| Glutamic acid | 3.50 g | 5.579 g |
| Aspartic acid | 2.05 g | 2.446 g |
| Tryptophan | 0.60 g | 0.348 g |
| Phenylalanine | 1.30 g | 1.169 g |
| Cystine | 0.40 g | 0.451 g |
Pumpkin Seeds vs Sunflower Seeds: Which is Better?
All in all, it can be said that pumpkin seeds are arguably a little healthier than sunflower seeds solely because of their significantly higher protein content. But, overall, both these seeds are quite similar in fat content, calories, omega fat ratios, as well as vitamin and mineral profiles.
However, if you happen to be looking for a particular kind of vitamin or mineral, you might consider one seed healthier than its counterpart.
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