What seeds are good for you to eat?

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OhSusana
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What seeds are good for you to eat?

Post by OhSusana »

A post by Flossie in a different thread set me thinking about this, and she inspired me to post this.
The discussion in that thread was about pomegranate seeds. Flossie wrote:
They're delicious in salads and some savoury dishes,..
I was surprised. Typically I throw them out - but no longer. I read up a little about them.

You might remember your French - pomme de terre. Apple of the ground.
Pome--granate means "seeded apple". (Latin).

From www.livestrong.com

An average pomegranate contains about 600 juicy seeds, also known as arils, which are encapsulated in white pith. The pomegranate fruit is low in calories, high in fiber, high in vitamins and high in phytochemicals that may promote heart health and help to prevent cancer...
Pomegranate seeds are rich in specific polyphenols, such as tannins, quercetin and anthocyanins -- all of which may offer both heart health and anti-cancer benefits. As powerful antioxidants, polyphenols may improve healthy cell survival, induce cancer cell death and prevent tumor growth, according to an article published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in January 2005. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimicrobial properties.

One word of warning. Some people think than can be dangerous to dogs. Mixed reading on this.
So there you have it on pomegranate seeds. What about grape seeds.

Health Benefits of Eating Whole Grape Seeds
https://www.healwithfood.org/health-ben ... edible.php
One short extract -
le grape seeds are naturally rich in flavonoids including gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin 3-O-gallate, and perhaps most importantly, oligomeric proanthocyanidins. According to research, the antioxidant capacity of proanthocyanidins is 20 times greater than vitamin E and 50 times greater than vitamin C....

Quite a long article, but mostly positive. Note the difference when it comes to grape seed extract.
One other thing - apparently there are small amounts of arsenic in grape juice.

Apple seeds. Best to avoid it seems!

Are apple seeds poisonous?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318706.php
Apple seeds contain a plant compound known as amygdalin.
It is found in relatively high amounts in the seeds of fruits in the rose family, which includes apples, almonds, apricots, peaches and cherries (1, 2, 3).
Amygdalin is a part of the seeds' chemical defenses. It is harmless when intact, but when the seeds are damaged, chewed or digested, amygdalin degrades into hydrogen cyanide. This is very poisonous and even lethal in high doses (4, 5).

Apparently you'd need to chew at least 20 apple cores very thoroughly you could be in danger. Say 100g of seeds.

Water melon seeds.
Why You Should Be Eating Watermelon Seeds, Instead Of Spitting Them Out
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/ ... 54996.html
quote
(Here’s the catch: You shouldn’t eat them straight from the fruit. To make the most of them, the seeds need to be sprouted and shelled.) Once sprouted, shelled and dried, watermelon seeds become edible, protein-packed treasures.

This is far longer than I meant it to be, so apologies. But I hope folks find this useful. Good eating!
Please read up, because there may be some dangers I haven't read about!
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Dominic
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Re: What seeds are good for you to eat?

Post by Dominic »

I certainly remember reading warnings about not sticking whole apples in a blender.

I don't know if I have the patience to peel watermelon seeds, but I shall certainly treat pomegranate seeds with a bit more interest next time I am making some juice.
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OhSusana
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Re: What seeds are good for you to eat?

Post by OhSusana »

I forgot sunflower seeds. I remembered when I bought some in the supermarket today!
This is actually from an Indian site - I think. But the details are copied from other sites.

34 Amazing Benefits of Sunflower seeds
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/ben ... alth/#gref

Seems like they're pretty good also for you.
Munching on sunflower seeds is a very popular pastime in Russia. Along with smoking and drinking vodka - or worse. If you sit at a trolley bus stop in the summer there you will doubtless find a small pile of discarded seed casings on the floor, under the seat. )

===
I should add, the pomegranate itself is excellent, anyway, on its own.
Especially useful with regard to people with an enlarged prostate. Prostatitis...
10 Things That Lower PSA Levels (And Some Things That Increase It)
https://prostate.net/articles/10-things ... sa-levels/
I read somewhere - I can't find now - that it's something to do with the red colour. So tomatoes, watermelon, also good.
But I can't find this article now!
Possibly it was this
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitn ... ate-and-f/
It's all because tomatoes are rich in the nutrient lycopene, which, incidentally, is what makes them red.
“We knew lycopene seems to slow down the development of prostate cancer, but now it seems it can slow down the enlargement of the prostate and development of BPH as well,” said Professor Hiten Patel, from Bart's and the Royal London Hospital, who led a new review of 67 studies into the connection.
“We need to do more research before we can say it should be recommended routinely for everyone, but the outcome of this review is very promising.”
OhSusana
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Re: What seeds are good for you to eat?

Post by OhSusana »

Austin7 wrote: Thu Sep 06, 2018 12:03 pm I've been taking these for years and they haven't poisoned me (yet :-) ). Bitter apricot seeds, chew and swallow 2 or 3 seeds a day,...
I read your articles, however, I feel that the body of scientific evidence points in a different direction.

Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot_kernel
...Together with the related synthetic compound laetrile, amygdalin has been marketed as an alternative cancer treatment. However, studies have found the compounds to be ineffective in the treatment of cancer, as well as potentially toxic or lethal when taken by mouth, due to cyanide poisoning....
In 1993 the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets tested the cyanide content of two 220 gram (8 oz) packages of bitter apricot kernels imported from Pakistan that were being sold in health-food stores as a snack. The results showed that each package, if consumed entirely, contained at least double the minimum lethal dosage of cyanide for an adult human;

Can apricot seeds help treat cancer? (30 July 2018)
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314337.php
...There is currently no scientific evidence to support the use of laetrile for these purposes or to treat cancer....
...No reliable evidence confirms laetrile as an effective treatment for cancer, and there is evidence that it is toxic and potentially fatal.
Most websites that support laetrile as a cancer treatment base their claims on anecdotal evidence and unsupported opinions....
...In conclusion, the ingestion of laetrile and apricot kernels carries a risk of serious illness and death, but manufacturers and producers continue to promote both products widely today...
Q:
Some people describe this view as “overly cautious.” Is it really dangerous to eat apricot seeds?
A:
Short answer, yes. Apricot seeds are dangerous. Long answer, absolutely yes. The amount that it takes to become dangerous is different for each person. The nutrients available in apricot seeds are easily (and safely) available in other foods. Even if the effect isn’t lethal, the symptoms of arsenic poisoning make you very ill. Choose another snack that doesn’t turn into a deadly poison after you eat it.
Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT

Personally, I would suggest switching to pomegranate seeds! Incidentally, the bitter apricot seeds contain even higher levels of cyanide.
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