Learn about the healing properties of pumpkin seed and how you can include them in your diet to improve kidney health, detoxify the body and eliminate parasites, among many other benefits.
Pumpkin seeds, like all edible seeds, provide an immense nutritional and medicinal contribution. After all, they contain future worlds within their compact structure. As said, “the creation of a thousand forests is within an acorn.”
In order to prepare your “babies” for survival outside of the pumpkin, nature endows these seeds with an extremely dense source of organically bound nutrients, including exceptionally high levels of the main minerals.
For example, a one-cup (64-gram) serving of pumpkin seeds has 44% of the Daily Value (DV) for zinc, 22% for copper, 42% for magnesium, 16% for manganese, 17% for potassium, and sufficient iron (17% DV) to improve iron deficiency associated with anemia.
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Pumpkin seed benefits.
But beyond the nutritional virtues of pumpkin seed, recent scientific research has revealed that pumpkin seed flour, as well as its pressed oil, may be of great value in alleviating the following conditions:
1. Growth of the prostate.
Pumpkin seed has been studied for its ability to inhibit testosterone-induced growth of the prostate, a common causative factor in benign prostatic hyperplasia.
2. The climacteric symptoms.
Women supplemented with 2,000 mg of pumpkin seed oil over the course of 12 weeks were found to have controlled blood pressure, increased HDL (good) cholesterol, as well as reduced severity of symptoms of insufficient hormones. associated, for example, hot flashes, headaches and pain.
Additional experimental research indicates that adverse cardiovascular changes associated with estrogen deficiency, such as elevated blood pressure and lipid disturbances, can be mitigated with pumpkin seed oil.
3. Kidney stones.
According to a 1987 study children with calcium oxalate crystals in their urine or kidney stones have responded favorably to supplementing their diet with pumpkin seeds.
4. Treat cardiovascular problems and liver disease.
A mixture of flaxseed and pumpkin seed has protective properties for the heart and liver, in an animal study from 2008 published in the Journal of Food Chemistry and Toxicology.
5. Medicine and chemical toxicity.
Pumpkin Seed Protein Isolate has been shown to alleviate acetaminophen (Tylenol) which is liver toxicity. It has also been found to help protect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.
6. Arthritis.
Pumpkin seed oil is comparable to indomethacin. Studies have shown that the oil contained in pumpkin seeds is similar to indomethacin, thus relieving arthritic states and chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Eliminate parasites.
A preclinical study in dogs has shown that pumpkin seeds have significant activity against canine intestinal parasites.
8. Treat insomnia and anxiety states.
Pumpkin seeds contain a high level of tryptophan (22mg/gram of protein per pumpkin seed), the precursor amino acid for serotonin – which in turn converts to melatonin, the ” sleep hormone,” at night. Research found that when pumpkin seeds are taken in combination with glucose, there is an effect that helps you fall asleep.
Pumpkin seeds in combination with carbohydrates, is as effective as the pharmaceutical tryptophan in reducing the time we stay awake at night.