Flaxseed Oil vs. Sunflower Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Flaxseed Oil and Sunflower Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flaxseed oil
versus
sunflower seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds:
- Both flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds are high in calories and saturated fat.
- Sunflower seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Sunflower seed is a great source of calcium.
- Sunflower seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flaxseed Oil (Oil, flaxseed, cold pressed) and Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds are high in calories. Flaxseed oil has 43% more calories than sunflower seed - flaxseed oil has 884 calories per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
| Flaxseed Oil | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 12% |
| Fat | 100% | 77% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Flaxseed oil has less carbohydrates than sunflower seed - sunflower seed has 20.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 11.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 155 times more protein than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 0.11g of protein per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 17.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds are high in saturated fat. Flaxseed oil has 51% more saturated fat than sunflower seed - flaxseed oil has 9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds are low in trans fat - flaxseed oil has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sunflower seed has more Vitamin C than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 1.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flaxseed oil has more Vitamin E than sunflower seed - flaxseed oil has 0.47mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Flaxseed oil has more Vitamin K than sunflower seed - flaxseed oil has 9.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sunflower seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Flaxseed Oil | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.325 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.285 MG |
| Niacin | ~ | 4.198 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 7.056 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.805 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 238 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sunflower seed is a great source of calcium and it has 56 times more calcium than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 57mg of calcium.
iron
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of iron and it has more iron than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
potassium
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has more potassium than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sunflower seed per 100 grams.
| Flaxseed Oil | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 53.368 G | 0.079 G |
| Total | 53.368 G | 0.079 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sunflower seed has more linoleic acid than flaxseed oil per 100 grams.
| Flaxseed Oil | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.015 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 14.327 G | 37.39 G |
| Total | 14.342 G | 37.39 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Flaxseed Oil (Oil, flaxseed, cold pressed) and Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) .
Flaxseed Oil g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sunflower Seeds g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does flaxseed oil or sunflower seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both flaxseed oil and sunflower seeds are high in calories. Flaxseed oil has 40% more calories than sunflower seed - flaxseed oil has 884 calories in 100g and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
Does sunflower seeds or flaxseed oil contain more iron?
Sunflower seed is an abundant source of iron and it has more iron than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Does sunflower seeds or flaxseed oil contain more potassium?
Sunflower seed is a rich source of potassium and it has more potassium than flaxseed oil - sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.