Seven Pumpkin Seed Health Benefits

Pumpkin seeds help the body to function and increase well-being

Pumpkin seed

The pumpkin (Cucurbite sp.) is a food that provides many health benefits and can be used in the preparation of various dishes, such as sweets, pies and soups. This is because it is rich in vitamins and low in calories. However, we usually get rid of the richest part of the food: the seed! Pumpkin seeds are a source of several nutrients and can be included in the diet in different ways: raw, cooked or fried, all tasty and nutritious.

Pumpkin seed has a large amount of bioactive compounds. These substances are able to provide several health benefits, preventing certain diseases or simply improving the functioning of our body. Here are seven reasons to include pumpkin seed in your diet and consume it regularly:

Pumpkin Seed Benefits

Pumpkin seed

Image of Engin Akyurt in Pixabay

1. It is a source of protein

According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, when consuming 100 grams of pumpkin seeds (roasted and salted), you are ingesting more than 18 grams of protein, 18.4 grams of fiber and about 446 calories (kcal) , in addition to several important vitamins and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. If the calorie count seems high, remember that 100 grams is a lot of pumpkin seeds and you're hardly going to eat it all at once.

2. Increase your magnesium intake

Magnesium is a vital mineral for the body, being the second most important for the human body (just after potassium), as it acts in the contraction and relaxation of muscles, in controlling blood glucose and blood pressure levels, in providing energy , and also in the production of proteins. Learn more in the article "Magnesium: what is it for?"

The same 100 grams of pumpkin seed contains 262 mg of magnesium, more than half the suggested total that an adult consumes per day.

3. Elevates potassium levels

Like magnesium, potassium is an essential mineral to help keep the body functioning properly, and is primarily responsible for fighting hypertension. In addition, it helps to reduce the occurrence of kidney stones and bone loss. It is suggested that adults consume at least 4,700 mg of potassium per day, but most people ingest half that amount. Pumpkin seed provides, for every 100 grams, about 919 mg of potassium, whereas a medium-sized banana - estimated to be one of the best sources of the mineral, provides 422 mg.

4. Strengthens the immune system

Zinc is responsible for protecting and fighting a large number of diseases that can be installed in our body. The National Institutes of Health recommends intake of 8 mg of zinc a day for an adult woman, and 100 grams of pumpkin seed has 10 mg.

5. Helps in prostate health

Research shows that the properties of pumpkin seeds and the oil extracted from them are beneficial for prostate health, as well as for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, known as an enlarged prostate). The seed contains components known as phytosterols, which prevent the transformation of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which causes prostate enlargement.

6. It makes you happier!

Pumpkin seeds naturally improve your mood and can even be effective against depression, and when taken a few hours before going to bed, the tryptophan in them helps you get a good night's sleep.

7. Full of Antioxidants

Pumpkin seed is unrivaled in its antioxidant levels. The food has several forms of vitamin E, as well as a diverse mix of antioxidants not easily found in any other food. That's why she is so special!

In addition to acting as a dewormer, helping to paralyze worms and expel them from the body due to the phytosterols found in the seed, it is also proven to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL).

About 120 grams to 206 grams of pumpkin seed per day is nutritionally sufficient. There are several possible ways to consume pumpkin seed; for example, toasting the seed and putting it whole in a salad or eating it with fruit, mashing and putting it in soups and cereals, or even making salad dressings. Thus, it is possible to use the pumpkin seed and enjoy its nutritional richness in different ways on a daily basis.

Another way to obtain these benefits is by extracting the oil from the pumpkin seed. Among the natural components that our bodies need, pumpkin seed oil has zinc, tryptophan, potassium, phytosterols and magnesium. For more details on pumpkin seed oil read the article "Pumpkin seed oil has unmissable benefits".



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