Carol planted sunflower seeds along our back fence in the spring, and we watched them grow into tall stately plants, each bearing a glorious sunflower during much of June and early July. Actually, a large sunflower head consists of hundreds of tiny yellow blossoms that make up the center of the large head. I realized this when I examined the sunflower closely, and saw that there were hundreds of perky, petite blossoms making up the large sunflower head. Each petite blossom eventually gives rise to a sunflower seed, and of course a large sunflower head produces hundreds of seeds. It turns out that these seeds are a rich source of vitamin D, which makes perfect sense since vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin!
I have an interview on Monday, July 16 with Dr. Michael Holick, the top vitamin D expert in the world. He has done research on vitamin D for over thirty years. Thanks to his research and that of his colleagues, we know today that vitamin D has many functions in the human body. We have known for decades that it was important for bone health, but it turns out that it’s important for a wider spectrum of health concerns than we knew in the past. Unfortunately, large numbers of us are deficient in vitamin D. Tune in to my interview with Dr. Holick Monday to learn more about this important vitamin. I will also write about it in more detail in my July Wellness Newsletter. In the meantime, munch on some sunflower seeds when you can. They’re a good source of vitamin D!
