One of our favorite medicinal plants is the humble sunflower. Sunflowers originate in the Americas and appear to have been domesticated in Mexico as far back as 2600 B.C. Ancient Aztec and Incan societies are said to have incorporated the sunflower in their worship of the sun.
Sunflowers have proven to have many health benefits. Besides being delicious, the seeds of the sunflower are an excellent source of Vitamin E and selenium. These are antioxidants which can protect against free radical damage to our cells. The antibacterial properties found in the sunflower seed can even help to flush toxins from the body.
Native Americans used the sap from the stalk of the sunflower plant to clean small wounds and in the Zuni tradition, the sap has actually been used to treat rattlesnake bites.
Sunflowers have recently been found to be useful in the clearing of toxicities and radiation from soil. They do so at such a high rate that they are known as hyperaccumulators. It is for this reason that sunflowers were planted near both the Chernobyl and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster sites.
This beautiful flower has a very long history and is highly valued as a medicinal plant.
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