Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds

See also : Pumpkin

Special Precautions of Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkins seeds contain essential fatty acids as well as vitamin A, magnesium and zinc, and a healthy dose of rarer nutrients. They can benefit people suffering from arthritis, prostate problems, depression or parasites. The main side effect of pumpkin seeds, a stomach ache, is negligible. However, if pumpkin seeds are used carelessly they can cause other indirect negative effects.

• Stomach Ache : Eating large amounts of pumpkin seeds can cause stomach aches. This is because the high content of fatty oils contained in the seeds can upset the stomach, and even cause diarrhea or a loss of appetite. This can occur when you eat more than a handful of seeds at a time or more than the recommended dose of pumpkin seed powder. Eat pumpkins seeds with other foods to help negate the side effect.
• Missing Nutrients : You may encounter problems with pumpkin seeds when some of their beneficial nutrients are destroyed by cooking, or when you don't chew the seeds and pass them whole. If you cook the seeds until they are crispy, you may be sacrificing the more unstable, water-soluble nutrients they contain, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins B6, B12 and C. If you pass the seeds whole because you didn't chew them, you'll miss out on all of the nutrients. You may think you're getting lots of nutrients when you are not. So carefully chew the seeds, and gently cook over a low heat.
• May Only Cure Symptoms : Another problem can arise when pumpkin seeds help cure the symptoms of a health problem but don't deal with the underlying cause. For instance, an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer can make it difficult to urinate. Pumpkin seeds can reduce inflammation and help with urination. But the seeds don't help cure the cancer or the enlarged prostate.
• Avoid when you have Cold sores (Herpes) : Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of Arginine.

The benefits of Pumpkin seeds are

• Prostate Health : Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a condition that commonly affects men 50 years and older in the United States. BPH involves enlargement of the prostate gland. One of the factors that contributes to BPH is overstimulation of the prostate cells by testosterone and its conversion product, DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Components in pumpkin seed oil appear able to interrupt this triggering of prostate cell multiplication by testosterone and DHT, although the exact mechanism for this effect is still a matter of discussion. Equally open for discussion is the relationship between pumpkin seed oil extracts (which could be purchased in the form of a dietary supplement) and pumpkin seeds themselves. The prostate-helpful components found in the oil extracts are definitely found in the seeds; the only question is whether the amount of seeds eaten for a normal snack would contain enough of these prostate-supportive components. The carotenoids found in pumpkin seeds, and the omega-3 fats found in pumpkin seeds are also being studied for their potential prostate benefits. Men with higher amounts of carotenoids in their diet have less risk for BPH; this is the connection that has led to an interest in pumpkin seed carotenoids.Zinc is one further nutrient found in pumpkin seeds that might impact prostate function. The fact that pumpkin seeds serve as a good source of zinc may contribute to the role of pumpkin seeds in support of the prostate. However, studies about the relationship between zinc and BPH show mixed results, and more research is needed to determine the circumstances under which zinc might be helpful versus harmful.
• Other studies show pumpkin seeds may effectively reduce the growth of Prostate Cancer cells. This believed due to the fact that the seeds contain protective compounds called phytosterols, which are known for their ability to help shrink the prostate.
• Protection for Men's Bones : In addition to maintaining prostate health, another reason for older men to make zinc-rich foods, such as pumpkin seeds, a regular part of their healthy way of eating is bone mineral density. Although osteoporosis is often thought to be a disease for which postmenopausal women are at highest risk, it is also a potential problem for older men. Almost 30% of hip fractures occur in men, and 1 in 8 men over age 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture. A study of almost 400 men ranging in age from 45-92 that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a clear correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral, and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.
• Anti-Inflammatory Benefits in Arthritis : The healing properties of pumpkin seeds have also been recently investigated with respect to arthritis. In animal studies, the addition of pumpkin seeds to the diet has compared favorably with use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin in reducing inflammatory symptoms. Importantly, though, pumpkin seeds did not have one extremely unwanted effect of indomethacin: unlike the drug, pumpkin seeds do not increase the level of damaged fats (lipid peroxides) in the linings of the joints, a side-effect that actually contributes to the progression of arthritis.
• A Rich Source of Healthful Minerals, Protein and Monounsaturated Fat : In addition to their above-listed unique health benefits, pumpkin seeds also provide a wide range of traditional nutrients. Our food ranking system qualified them as a very good source of the minerals magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, and a good source of iron, copper, protein, and as previously mentioned, zinc. Snack on a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds and you will receive 46.1% of the daily value for magnesium, 28.7% of the DV for iron, 52.0% of the DV for manganese, 24.0% of the DV for copper, 16.9% of the DV for protein, and 17.1% of the DV for zinc.
• Lowering Cholesterol : Phytosterols are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.
• They’re high in the sleep-enhancing amino acid tryptophan that converts to serotonin in your body and helps ensure a good night’s sleep.
• They’re high levels of easily-digestible protein helps stabilize blood sugar when eaten as a snack throughout the day. Stable blood sugar means weight loss if you’re trying to lose.
• High in Omega 3s, pumpkin seed oil has been shown in studies to reduce the incidence of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)—a condition in which the prostate gland becomes enlarged.
• They’re a good source of blood-building and energy-boosting iron.
• They are alkalizing to the body’s pH. Many snack foods are acid-forming in the body. Acidity has been linked to pain, illness, and even cancer.
• Postmenopausal Symptoms: Women supplemented with 2,000 mg of pumpkin seed oil over the course of 12 weeks were found to have reduced blood pressure, increased HDL cholesterol, as well as reduction in the severity of hormone insufficiency associated symptoms, e.g. hot flash, headaches and join pain.[iii] Additional experimental research indicates that adverse cardiovascular changes associated with estrogen deficiency, such as blood pressure and lipid abnormalities, can be mitigated with pumpkin seed oil.
• Calcium-Oxalate Kidney Stones: According to a study performed in 1987 and published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, children with calcium-oxalate crystals in their urine responded favorably to the supplementation of their diet with pumpkin seeds.
• Cardiovascular and Liver Disease: A mixture of flaxseed and pumpkin seed was found to have heart-protective and liver-protective properties in an animal study from 2008 published in the Journal of Food Chemistry & Toxicology.
• Drug & Chemical Toxicity: The protein isolate of pumpkin seed has been shown to alleviate acetaminophen (Tylenol) toxicity on the liver,[vii] and as methotrexate-induced small intestine damage in an animal model. It has also been studied to protect against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.
• Arthritis: Pumpkin seed oil was found to compare favorably with the NSAID drug indomethacin in an experimental model of arthritis, but without causing liver damage, in a study published in 1995 in the journal of Pharmacological Research.
• Hypertension: Animals fed pumpkin seed oil were found to respond more favorably to conventional drug-treatment with Ace-inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers, likely because of its beneficial antioxidant properties.
• Stroke : pumpkin seed oil can reduce your risk of stroke as well as decrease inflammation, a precursor for more serious diseases.
• Parasites: A preclinical canine study has shown that pumpkin seeds have significant activity against canine intestinal parasites.
• Insomnia/Anxiety: Pumpkin seeds contain a high level of tryptophan (22mg/gram of pumpkin seed protein), the amino acid precursor to serotonin – which is itself converted to melatonin, the “sleep hormone,” in the evening. Research published in 2007 in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that when de-oiled pumpkin seed was taken in combination with glucose, a clinical effect similar to that of pharmaceutical-grade tryptophan was achieved.[xiii] A 2005 study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience found that pumpkin seed sourced tryptophan in combination with carbohydrate was as effective as pharmaceutical tryptophan in reducing awake time during the night.
• Metabolism and allertness : Almonds, sesame and pumpkin seeds help regulate dopamine levels.

Main Combinations

• Prostate problems : Stinging Nettle Root + Pumpkin seeds oil + Serenoa repens