Some people think sunflower seeds are just bird food. You can see birds at a feeder, picking through the other seeds to get to the sunflower seeds. Birds know what they are doing. These sunnies are nutrient rich. In fact, they are can be considered to be most excellent in nutrients, supplying all the body?s needs, except vitamin D, which can be obtained through the action of sunlight on the skin. After the hulls are removed sunflower seeds are 22% protein with a well balanced amino acid content, and contain 50% oil. For every 100 grams, sunflower seeds contain 30 grams of unsaturated fats and 30 milligrams of essential linoleic acid, which reduces cholesterol deposits. There are 174 milligrams of calcium in a cup of sunflower seeds. The calcium/phosphorus ratio makes the calcium readily available. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E and B-complex vitamins, especially thiamin and niacin. They can have a calming effect due to their tryptophan content.