7 high-protein seeds nutritionists recommend for energy, gut health and more

Recognising that you need more protein is one thing, but knowing how to incorporate more protein-rich foods into your diet is another, particularly when it comes to plant-based protein.

So, beyond the simple (and often expensive) ‘eat more chicken’ advice people online seem so keen to tout, how can we add more protein to our meals in a diverse and manageable way? Well, that's easy: seeds, says Elizabeth Sanchez, RD MSc, a registered dietitian specialising in digestive health and plant-based diets.

Best high-protein seeds

Seeds are great for your health in many ways, but high-protein seeds make particularly good additions to your diet, says Sanchez.  

‘Protein-rich seeds help support you in achieving your protein requirements, which is essential for muscle maintenance and hormone balance,’ she adds. ‘Protein also helps to keep you fuller for longer, and seeds are a great snack or nutrition booster in meals without adding much extra volume.

 According to Sanchez, some of the highest protein seeds include:

1. Hemp seeds: Containing 32g of protein per 100g, hemp seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for health and reducing inflammation.
2. Pumpkin seeds: With 30g of protein per 100g, pumpkin seeds are a great source of magnesium, zinc and iron.
3. Sunflower seeds: Containing 24g of protein per 100g, sunflower seeds also provide vitamin E.
4. Flaxseeds (also known as linseeds): As well as boasting 18g of protein per 100g, flaxseeds are high in soluble fibre and lignans – which help reduce your risk of heart disease – and are a source of omega-3s.
5. Sesame seeds: With 18g of protein per 100g, sesame seeds also contain calcium and other beneficial minerals.
6. Poppy seeds: Containing 18g of protein per 100g, poppy seeds are also rich in minerals and fibre.
7. Chia seeds: With 17g of protein per 100g, chia seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids and have the added benefit of being particularly high in soluble fibre.

As well as being rich plant proteins, then, Sanchez highlights that these seeds also provide healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals – true nutritional all-rounders.

How many seeds should you have a day?

As with everything, though, moderation applies here and it’s unwise to go from no seeds to loads of seeds really quickly. So, what’s the magic number? ‘As a general guide, 1-2 tbsp per day (around 20-30g) is a good amount to add some protein, fibre and healthy fats,’ says Sanchez. ‘More can be used for a healthy way to gain weight.’

What are the best high-protein seed combinations?

‘It's helpful to have a mixture of seeds to make sure you're getting a broader nutrient profile,’ says Sanchez, with ‘a simple blend of hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and flax’ covering most nutritional bases.

 However, Sanchez adds that if you’re looking to increase intake of certain minerals, targeting specific seeds can be effective. ‘For example, pumpkin and hemp seeds for magnesium and poppy and sesame seeds for calcium.’

‘Additionally, if you follow a plant-based diet or you don't eat oily fish, including hemp, chia or flax seeds every day is useful for omega-3 fatty acids,’ she adds. ‘And, if you're managing your gut health, adding flax seeds high in soluble fibre can really help to improve certain gut issues.’

How to add high-protein seeds to your diet

 Now, it’s all well and good knowing which seeds to add to your diet, but what about

Luckily for us, Sanchez has some easy tips:

• Breakfast: Sprinkle flax or hemp seeds over porridge, yoghurt, overnight oats or smoothie bowls. Adding to yoghurt or oats will provide an extra protein boost.
• Lunch: Add sunflower or pumpkin seeds to salads, wraps or soups. Mix with beans or lentils for a meal containing all the essential amino acids.
• Snacks: Try seed butters (like tahini or sunflower seed butter) on oatcakes or apple slices, or mix with hummus to use in sandwiches or with crudites.
• Dinner: Use sesame seeds in stir-fries, or top roasted veg with a hemp-pumpkin seed mix.
• Baking: Mix seeds into home-made bread, crackers, or energy bars.

‘Combining seeds with legumes like lentils, beans and chickpeas, or dairy/soy products helps to provide a complete amino acid profile,’ adds Sanchez.

 

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Novel, implantable device 'could slow, reverse heart failure'

Around 50% of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis. But could a novel, implantable heart device change this? In a clinical trial, the C-Pulse - a cuff that wraps around the aorta and pumps blood from the heart around the body - has proved effective in reversing heart failure, even in some patients with severe cases.

The C-Pulse device - consisting of a cuff that wraps around the aorta and helps pump blood from the heart around the body - could slow or reverse heart failure, according to researchers.

The research team, led by Dr. William Abraham of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, publish their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) Heart Failure.

  Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood and oxygen around the body to support other organs. Around 5.1 million people in the US have the condition.

There is no cure for heart failure, although there are medications to help manage symptoms. But Dr. Abraham notes such treatments are not always effective. "The optimal drug therapies we have today often aren't enough to manage this disease for some patients," he says, "so we are always looking for new types of therapies."

For their study, Dr. Abraham and his team implanted the C-Pulse device in 20 patients with either functional class III or ambulatory functional class IV heart failure, as defined by the New York Heart Association.

The device, developed by Sunshine Heart Inc., is an extra-aortic counterpulsation system. It consists of a cuff that is placed around the patient's aorta - the largest artery in the body - and is outside of the patient's bloodstream. The cuff is attached to a small balloon that inflates and deflates in sync with the patient's heartbeat. This pumps blood through the aorta and around the body.
 
According to the Sunshine Heart website, the device is designed to get more oxygen to the heart muscle, reduce the workload of the left ventricle in the heart, and increase blood flow from the heart.
A wire runs from the device through the abdomen to an external power pack called a "driver," which the patient wears. The driver can be battery powered or plugged in, and it can be disconnected temporarily to allow the patient to shower, for example, or carry out other short tasks where the pack may be inconvenient.

The C-Pulse can be implanted within 1 hour via a mini-thoracotomy (a small incision through the ribs) and a mini-sternotomy (a small incision through the sternum) or via a complete sternotomy.

C-Pulse 'effectively reversed heart failure' for some patients

The patients in the study were assessed 6 months and 1 year after device implantation. The team says that 16 of the 20 patients showed significant improvements in symptoms at both points in time.
Dr. Abraham says that three of the patients had mild or no symptoms of heart failure 1 year after implantation. "They went from class III or IV down to a functional class I, effectively reversing their heart failure," he adds.
 
The researchers also found that the patients were able to walk an average of 100 feet further, and the average quality of life score among patients improved by almost 30 points. "Drug and device therapies that are currently available for heart failure improve that same quality of life score by only five or 10 points," Dr. Abraham explains. "So, this is truly a significant improvement."
 
The researchers note that because the device is outside of the patient's bloodstream, none of them were hospitalized for stroke  thrombosis, sepsis or bleeding, which they say can be common among patients using left ventricular assist devices.

They point out, however, that a common side effect - occurring among 8 of the 20 patients - was infection of the device exit site. In future trials, the team notes that this side effect should be reduced with stricter guidelines for management of the exit site and better wound care and antibiotic therapy.

Medical News Today recently reported on the development of a wearable skin-like device that researchers say can monitor cardiovascular and skin health 24 hours a day.

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