With so much buzz around pumpkin seeds these days, you must’ve definitely wondered “are pumpkin seeds really worth the hype?” Well, the answer is yes! Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are green, flat, and oval seeds that offer some remarkable health benefits right from improving heart health to lowering blood sugar levels. Despite their small size, pumpkin seeds are jam-packed with valuable nutrients, making them a great addition to your daily diet. Wanna know more about the benefits of pumpkin seeds? Keep scrolling!
Table of Contents
Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds
- Packed with Nutrients
- Powerful Antioxidant
- Helps lower blood sugar levels
- Helps promote good sleep
- Good for strong bones
- Rich in fiber
- Good for heart health
- May reduce risk of certain cancers
- Good for prostate and bladder health
- May improve the quality of sperm
- Good for your skin
Pumpkin seeds are easily available in the market, and if you haven’t tried pumpkin seeds yet, it’s high time you did! Not only are they extremely nutritious and great for your health, but they are also versatile and can be easily added to your diet. They make for a nutritional snack to reach for, in between meals. Not just that, you can also add them to smoothies, or sprinkle them on yogurt, salads, or soups. Without further ado, here are some pumpkin seed benefits that you should know about.
Packed With Nutrients
Pumpkin seeds are not just protein-rich foods, they also contain lots of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, potassium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and folate. A small serving of pumpkin seeds can offer high levels of nutrients! A 1-ounce serving contains 7 grams of protein, 1.7 grams of fiber, 5 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of fat. Pumpkin seeds also contain minerals such as iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, etc. Besides these, they are also packed with various other nutrients that are known to offer numerous health benefits.
Powerful Antioxidant
Several factors such as stress, lifestyle, pollutants and other environmental factors contribute to the formation of excessive free radicals in your body, and can cause harm when their levels get too high. Pumpkin seeds have high levels of effective antioxidants such as Vitamin E and carotenoids that help in reducing inflammation and help fight free radicals in your body. This is an important pumpkin seed benefit that helps protect against multiple diseases and the damage caused due to free radicals.
Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Another benefit of pumpkin seeds is that they may help lower blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. Pumpkin seeds have impressive magnesium content, and 1 ounce (28 grams) serving contains 37% of the RDI. Studies show that an increase in magnesium content is linked with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in men and women.
Helps Promote Good Sleep
Do you have trouble sleeping? Try eating pumpkin seeds before going to bed! Pumpkin seeds contain amino acid tryptophan, zinc and magnesium, and all of these are known to improve the quality of sleep.
Good For Strong Bones
Another benefit of pumpkin seeds is that they are good for strong bones, as magnesium is important for forming and maintaining healthy bones. Besides, high magnesium intake is linked with a greater bone density. A greater bone density means a reduced risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.
Rich In Fiber
Fiber content is really important for promoting good digestive health, and whole pumpkin seeds are good sources of dietary fiber. 100 grams of pumpkin seeds contain approximately 18 grams of dietary fiber. Besides, a diet rich in fiber will keep you satiated for a longer time after eating, which can be great if you want to maintain a healthy weight. A high-fiber diet is also linked with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.
Good For Heart Health
This is one of the most important pumpkin seed benefits! Pumpkin seeds keep your heart healthy as they may help reduce blood pressure, lower the amount of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. As mentioned above, pumpkin seeds are a good source of magnesium, and also contain antioxidants, zinc, fiber and fatty acids- all of which are beneficial for heart health.
May Reduce Risk Of Certain Cancers
Some studies have shown that diets rich in pumpkin seeds have been associated with a reduced risk of stomach, breast, lung, prostate, and colon cancers. Consumption of pumpkin seeds in good amounts is also associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer after menopause.
May Improve The Quality of Sperm
Pumpkin seeds may also help in achieving improved male reproductive health. Pumpkin seeds being a rich source of zinc, may help improve the quality of sperm and reduce the risk of infertility in men.
Good For Prostate And Bladder Health
People with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia(BPH) can greatly benefit from regular consumption of pumpkin seeds. Other benefits of pumpkin seeds in terms of overall bladder and prostate health include improved urinary function and usefulness in treating symptoms of an overactive bladder.
Good For Your Skin
You must have come across skincare and beauty products that contain pumpkin seed oil. That’s because pumpkin seed and its oil are rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, zinc, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids that can work wonders for your skin! It helps in retaining moisture, and also fights the effects of free radicals. Pumpkin seeds are among the best foods for skin that you can easily incorporate into your diet!
Related Topics
Tomato Benefits For Skin: From shrinking pores to removing blackheads and boosting collagen production- the antioxidants present in tomatoes make them an excellent ingredient for your skin. Read on to learn more about their benefits.
Beetroot Benefits: Beetroots have numerous health benefits right from increasing the iron levels in your body to helping keep blood pressure in check. Read on to know more about it!
Now that you know about so many pumpkin seed benefits, you might wanna reconsider throwing those pumpkin seeds in the trash.
Featured Image: Pexels, Pixabay
