in Food & Drink, Health
Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds – Unleashing The Incredible Power Of Tiny Seeds!
Small things have a big impact! Well, this is not a life philosophy but the thought that has just evoked in my mind after knowing some fantastic health benefits of Pumpkin Seeds.
Pumpkin seeds may appear tiny and negligible but are literally packed with almost every nutrient that our body requires (not to miss, each mineral present in abundant amounts) which makes them the healthiest snack items to munch on.
In fact, the power of pumpkin seeds is such, they can prevent cancer and protect you from cardiovascular diseases which is the leading cause of a maximum number of deaths all over the world.
What is in these minuscules that makes them incredibly nutritious? Here is to some awesome pumpkin seeds nutrition facts that will leave you shockingly surprised!
Pumpkin Seeds Nutrition Facts
One cup of dried pumpkin seeds which is around 138 grams provides you with the following nutrients
You have to keep in mind that consuming excess may cause side effects because pumpkin seeds are high in calories (747 calories) in just one cup.
They contain extremely high amounts of manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and Iron, so much so that consuming just a single cup helps you meet more than 100% of your daily mineral requirement.
Other than these minerals, they also contain copper, zinc, potassium, and selenium along with trace amounts of calcium and sodium.
Pumpkins seeds are a good source of vitamins like Vitamin K, Riboflavin, folate, choline, thiamine, vitamin B6 and Niacin but they contain vitamin A, pantothenic acid and Vitamin C in trace amounts.
In addition to these, pumpkin seeds are a good source of antioxidants which play a major role in providing various health benefits.
How Much Pumpkin Seeds To Eat In A Day?
Consuming a handful of pumpkin seeds can provide your body with the required nutrients.
Since the quantity of vitamins and minerals is extremely high in pumpkin seeds, including just a handful of these seeds just before or after your tea time is sufficient enough to help you gather all the required nutrients.
10 Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds
Here is how pumpkin seeds enhance your overall health!
1. They Protect Your Heart
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of magnesium which is essential for maintaining perfect heart health. This is because magnesium helps in controlling your blood pressure by reducing the systolic and diastolic readings.
Also, magnesium is essential for balancing the electrolytes in your body. For example, magnesium helps in better transportation of electrolytes in and out of your body,
A good exchange of electrolytes such as calcium, potassium occurs in and out of the cells when there is enough magnesium present in your body.
Magnesium also helps in maintaining a steady and regular heartbeat which is an indication of a healthy heart.
In addition to this, pumpkin seeds contain a special type of compound called phytosterol which can reduce the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) from your body. They can, in turn, increase the levels of HDL (good cholesterol).
2. Pumpkin Seeds Promote A Good Quality Sleep
Our body requires good levels of serotonin which is a kind of neurotransmitter that is responsible for enabling a good quality sleep. People who have trouble sleeping or those who wake up in the middle of the night have low levels of serotonin in them.
Pumpkin seeds contain zinc in abundant amounts which can fulfill your daily zinc requirement by 69%. This is helpful in converting the amino acid called tryptophan into the neurotransmitter called serotonin.
A disturbed sleep results in fatigue and shortness of breath, making you feel tired and restless all the time, if you have found yourself sleeping for not more than 6 hours a day, you may have to take charge of your sleep cycle and take necessary steps to regulate it.
Consuming at least a handful of pumpkin seeds is going to help you get rid of sleep troubles!
3. Pumpkin Seeds Benefits For Diabetics
Diabetics require good levels of magnesium in their body because they lose most of the magnesium through urine. This happens because of an increase in the blood sugar levels.
Pumpkin seeds also contain dietary fibre which can reduce the overall risk of being affected with type-2 diabetes.
There have been several studies which proved that pumpkin seeds can reduce the levels of blood glucose. You can either consume pumpkin seed powder or freshly prepared pumpkin juice to decrease your blood sugar levels.
People who struggle to reduce their blood glucose levels can make use of pumpkin seeds for witnessing an amazing change in the levels of blood sugars.
4. They Boost Your Immune System
Zinc is an essential element for improving your immune system and for faster healing of wounds and bruises.
This is because zinc helps in a quick division of cells which results in the formation of new cells to form new tissues. This also applies to the proper healing of acne and zits.
Sometimes, it is the Zinc deficiency that results in the emergence of acne! People who have a deficiency of zinc have a tough time to get their wounds healed because of a slow pace of cell division.
Instead of taking zinc supplements, you can opt for pumpkin seeds which are a good source of zinc to promote faster healing and boost your overall immunity.
5. They Can Strengthen Your Bones
If you are looking for a healthy way to improve your bone strength, calcium is not the only important element that aids in a healthy bone formation.
You can increase the intake of other important bone-strengthening minerals like zinc, vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium to prevent bone disorders like osteoporosis that is common to occur with the onset of age.
Pumpkin seeds contain all these minerals in excess amounts which lead to the development of strong bones with a high bone density.
They also help in the better absorption of calcium which is present in rather fewer amounts (59.3 mg in one cup) when compared to other minerals.
Getting exposed to sunlight (to gain vitamin D) and acquiring these bone-strengthening minerals through pumpkin seeds is the best way to improve your bone strength!
6. For A Smooth And Healthy Digestion
Digestive problems can be very well handled if you know which foods to choose! Certain foods are highly beneficial in improving your gut health because of their nutrient-rich properties and pumpkin seeds are one of them.
Just one cup of pumpkin seeds contains 5.4 grams of dietary fibre which fulfils 22% of your fibre requirement.
However, you must be careful and keep in mind that you chew them properly to prevent any kind of digestive disorders. Make sure that you drink plenty of water to enable quick and easy digestion.
7. Health Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds For Mental Wellbeing!
Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan which can increase the levels of serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are known to make you feel depressed and anxious whereas good levels of serotonin can improve your mood, promote good sleep and help you get rid of anxiety.
Serotonin can only be produced when there is tryptophan and you can obtain this amino acid through pumpkin seeds.
Also, magnesium present in pumpkin seeds can relax your nerves and make you feel better!
8. Pumpkin Seeds Benefits For Men
Pumpkin seeds have a vital role in enhancing men’s overall health because they have a significant impact on two major prevailing problems of men – the risk of prostate cancer and infertility.
How Can Pumpkin Seeds Prevent Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is caused when the cells present in the prostate gland (a reproductive gland that is responsible for producing a fluid that is a part of semen) grow without control leading to the formation of tumours.
However, ensuring that you get the required amounts of zinc through your diet can prevent the risk of prostate cancer. The credit goes to the presence of zinc in pumpkin seeds because your body requires plenty of zinc to suppress the growth of a tumour especially, the growth of tumours in the prostate glands.
Surprisingly, it is your prostate cells that can absorb zinc in good amounts. Several studies have shown that an intake of zinc is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
How Can Pumpkin Seeds Prevent Infertility?
Pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants and nutrients in abundant amounts which are essential for improving the levels of testosterone which is a male reproductive hormone responsible for good sperm production.
Also, low quality of the semen can be linked to infertility issues which can be corrected by increasing the levels of zinc. A high intake of zinc can improve the quality of sperm which in turn prevents the problems of infertility.
Erectile dysfunction can also be one of the causes of infertility which can be corrected by increasing the intake of zinc.
9. Pumpkin Seeds For A Healthy Skin
It is again the presence of zinc in pumpkin seeds that reduces the inflammation caused due to acne because zinc exhibits anti-inflammatory properties.
These seeds also contain unsaturated fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids that can nourish your skin and keep it moisturized all the time.
Consuming pumpkin seeds on a daily basis can also prevent the occurrence of wrinkles, thereby helping you in premature ageing because pumpkin seeds contain good amounts of antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin E.
Antioxidants can reduce the activity of free radicals whose function is to damage the healthy cells which in turn leads to a dull, lusterless skin type.
How To Prepare A Skin Healthy Pumpkin Face Mask?
Grind one cup of pumpkin seeds and add one tablespoon of butter to make it a paste. Add egg to the paste and mix it well such that you obtain a paste.
Use your fingers to apply the paste all over your skin and leave it as such for half an hour. Wait, until it gets completely dried after which you can rinse it off with lukewarm water.
10. Pumpkin Seeds Benefits For Hair
Pumpkin seeds contain several hair healthy components such as L-lysine which is an essential amino acid that is responsible for the synthesis of proteins and certain essential fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids that play a major role in increasing your hair growth.
Zinc, present in pumpkin seeds also helps in healthy growth of hair apart from preventing the itchiness and inflammation is a scalp.
Pumpkin seeds also contain Iron in good amounts which are also essential for a healthy growth of hair because Iron increases the levels of haemoglobin which helps in better circulation of blood to your hair cells, thereby promoting the growth of hair.
How To Make The Best Use Of Pumpkin Seeds For Hair?
You can simply massage your hair and scalp using the pumpkin seed oil until it gets embedded into the pores of the scalp and leave it overnight.
Rinse it off using a mild shampoo and a good conditioner. Apply the oil at least thrice a week to R witness an amazing change in your hair growth.
Bottom Line
You can make the most benefits out of these tiny seeds if you just start including the seeds as your regular snack item!
Pumpkin seeds improve your skin and hair texture, enable good digestion, strengthen your bones, boost your immunity, enhance your mental health, protect your heart health and reduce the blood sugar levels.
There are two major pumpkin seeds benefits for men which include a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer and prevention of infertility!
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