Sunflower Seeds nutrition and cancer

    You may start to notice that whenever appropriate, I suggest a sprinkling of nuts or seeds atop a dish.  Of course the obvious reason is because they add a delicious roasted flavor, a sweet nuttiness, and a bit of crunch to a dish. The other less obvious, but equally important reason is because they are nutritious, and my goal when preparing food is to maximize flavor and nutrition. Yes, you can do both.
    Today I am going to talk about the nutrition of one of my favorite seeds, sunflower seeds. 
Did you know that 1/4 of a cup of sunflower seeds provides:
82% of vit. E
34% of selenium
28% of magnesium
70% of copper
43% of thiamine
28% of B6
33% of phosphorous 

   Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, and has been shown to aid in the prevention of cancer. It is also an anti-inflammatory, and can reduce symptoms of diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
   Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancers growth by repairing abnormal cells, and by detoxing the body of damaged cells.
   Sunflower seeds are also high in Phytosterols, which can enhance the immune response, and reduce the risk of certain cancers.
  
   I found no information stating that roasting the seeds destroyed any of these benefits.  If I do I will let you know. Or if anyone has any information on this, feel free to leave a comment.