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Herbal Glossary | Medicinal Glossary | Herbal Preparations | Ayervedic Formulas | Chinese Formulas Sunflower
Scientific Names
Common Names
Parts Usually UsedWhole plant, especially the seeds Description of Plant(s) and CultureSunflower is an annual plant growing 6-10 feet high; leaves mostly
alternate, rough-hairy, broadly heart or spade-shaped. The flowers
are orange-yellow; disk flat, flowers from July to October. The wild
parent of the domesticated sunflower. Where FoundFound on prairies, roadsides. Minnesota to Texas; escaped from cultivation
elsewhere. A North American native plant. Medicinal PropertiesDiuretic, expectorant Biochemical InformationThe seeds are exceptionally rich in polyunsaturates (approx. 80%)
and high quality plant protein, plus natural vitamins and minerals.
(thiamine (B1), niacin, potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, iodine,
fluorine, magnesium, sodium, vitamins D and E). Legends, Myths and StoriesThe wild ancestor of the common Sunflower has smaller blooms than the cultivated plants. Competitions are organized to see who can grow the largest sunflower. The present record is 25 feet tall; the largest blossom ever found was over 32 inches across. (Cultivated plants; (H. giganteus)) There are many good varieties of sunflower available; some are best for seed production, and others for ornamental value. In 1835 a practical gardener in the Ukraine cultivated the first commercial sunflower plantation. Fifteen or twenty years later, the waste areas of central Russia, Ukraine, south Russia and many parts of Siberia were covered with the plants. Native Americans used the seeds as a source of meal; the Spanish conquerors of South and Central America discovered the sunflower and its uses, carrying the seeds to the Old World spreading the plant across Europe. The Incas of Peru made the sunflower a part of religious practices. The Chinese cultivate sunflower and use it for food, the fruits are
fed to fowls, the leaves are made fodder for cattle, and the stalks
and roots are used as fuel. No medical qualities have been found ascribed
to this plant by the Chinese. UsesNative Americans used the tea of the flowers for lung ailments, malaria.
Leaf tea used for high fevers;
poultice of roots on snakebites and spider bites. Seeds
and leaves are diuretic and expectorant. Seeds contain all the important
nutrients that benefit the eyes and relieve constipation.
Useful against dysentery, inflammations of the bladder and
kidney. The leaves are astringent and used in herbal tobaccos. Formulas or DosagesMake sure the seeds are fresh. Decoction: 2 oz. of seeds to 1 quart of water: boil down to 12 oz. and strain. Add 6 oz. of Holland gin and 6 oz. of honey. The dose is 1-2 tsp. 3 or 4 times a day. Oil: unrefined oil has similar properties to the seeds. Take
10-15 drops or more, 2-3 times a day. Nutrient ContentProtein, thiamine (B1), niacin, potassium, iron, vegetable fats,
phosphorus, calcium, iodine, fluorine, magnesium, sodium, vitamins
D and E. How SoldMost of the sunflower oil commercially offered has been refined.
It is still relatively valuable but does not have the value of unrefined
oil with its full content of highly unsaturated fatty acids. Also,
the sunflower seeds need not be cooked or roasted, as commercially
offered. Fresh sunflower seeds are best for nutritional value. WarningPollen or plant extracts may cause allergic reactions.
Resource LinksLiveStrong.com: Sunflower Seeds & HDL National Sunflower Association: Sunflower Seeds and Cholesterol Reduction ScienceDaily.com: Sunflower Seeds, Pistachios Among Top Nuts For Lowering Cholesterol Bibliography
Herbal Gardening, compiled by The Robison York State Herb Garden, Cornell Plantations, Matthaei Botanical Gardens of the University of Michigan, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley., Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition
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Hsiang-jih-k'uei (Chinese name)
American Folk Medicine
, by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973
, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000Copyright © 1996-2010 Lynn DeVries, all rights reserved.