Sunflower

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Seed allergy test results²

  In children, most with positive sunflower seed tests had no reaction when they ate it in supervised tests.

• Concern

  Seed allergy reactions³

  Some people reacted badly to eating sunflower seed, and symptoms varied each time they ate it.

Animal and lab studies only

• No harm found

  Food poisoning risk⁷

  In lab studies, roasting sunflower seeds long enough killed the Salmonella, so the finished snack should not make people sick.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Daily fat needs⁵

  Sunflower oil alone cannot give you all the fats your body needs, so scientists suggest mixing it with other oils.

• Concern

  Cadmium in food⁶

  Sunflower seeds grown in contaminated soil can hold cadmium, and washing them does not remove it.

How it’s made and used

• Protein absorption from food⁴

  In people, the body absorbed about 90% of the protein building blocks from sunflower protein in biscuits.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.