Pumpkin seeds: Benefits, nutrition, uses

In this Article (Index)

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Phytochemicals in Pumpkin Seeds
• Phytosterols
• Pumpkin Seed Oil
• Nutritional Values
• Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds and their Oil
• Risks and Side Effects

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins, squash, and gourd are species of edible fruits of the Curcubita genus. It comprises several edible herbaceous vine plants. The name curcubita comes from the Latin word for "gourd".

They originated in Central America and South America's Andean region and spread across pre-Hispanic America after they were domesticated some 8,000 years ago. There are other gourds, of a different genus, native to Africa related to the Curcubitaceae. (1)

Pumpkins are nutritive and have an edible fleshy interior. Their seeds are a by-product or waste obtained from pumpkins and have also been used as food since antiquity.

Pumpkin seeds contain many nutrients and phytochemicals that include phytosterols, phenolic compounds, minerals, and vitamins. Their bioactive compounds have promising medical uses as antidiabetic, antidepressant, antioxidant, and antitumoral agents. They have been used to treat acne, parasites, baldness, liver, urinary, and prostate disorders. (3)

Phytochemicals in Pumpkin Seeds

Seeds are rich in plant-based chemical compounds. Pumpkin seeds contain vitamins A (carotenoids), C, and E (tocopherols), pigments, squalene, saponins, and phytosterols as well as phenolic compounds, coumarins, triterpenoids (cucurbita-5, 24-dienol, &alpha- and β-amyrin), and flavonoids; these polyphenols and bioactive compounds may act as chemopreventive agents against cancer. (1),(2)

They also contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper, and iron, among others. (3)

Phytosterols

The seeds and pumpkin seed oil also contain plant sterols and, contrary to most vegetable oils they are rich in Δ7-sterols like sitosterol, Δ7,22,25-stigmastatrienol, Δ7-stigmastenol, and spinasterol.
Phytosterols lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood reducing the risk of heart disease. (3)

Pumpkin Seed Oil

The oil content of dry pumpkin seeds is roughly 47%. (1), it contains linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic fatty acids.
Of these, 21% are saturated, 37% are polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs, and 42% are monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFAs. PUFAs and MUFAs have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. (3),(16).

Nutritional Value of Pumpkin Seeds

Below are the nutritional facts for raw shelled pumpkin see values per 100 grams. (8)

No cholesterol or trans fats. They are also rich in zinc, with 1.24 to 14.14 mg/100 g, which covers the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for men and women.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds and their Oil

• To treat Acne
• Wound healing
• Urinary incontinence
• Depression
• Baldness (androgenetic alopecia)
• Benign Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH)
• Diabetes
• Add Pumpkin Seeds to your Diet
• Home roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Intestinal Parasites
• Blood Pressure Control and Cholesterol

To treat Acne

The topical use of pumpkin seed oil is effective for the treatment of facial acne according to a study (9) that reported "the safety and efficacy of pumpkin seed oil treatment for inflammatory facial acne. Besides, medical enhancement was seen in all patients. This scientific study further supports and suggests the use of this plant oil as an adjuvant along with commonly used anti-inflammatory agent."

Wound healing

The wound-healing properties of pumpkin seed oil were evaluated in rats. Those treated with the oil, unlike the untreated group, displayed full re-epithelialization without inflammatory cells. (10)

Depression

Pumpkin seeds have been mentioned as sources of L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is metabolized to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, sleep, and cognition among other functions. A study (12) evaluated the effects of pumpkin seeds (raw, boiled, germinated, and roasted) in comparison to a standard anti-depressive drug (Imipriamine) in normal and depressed rats.
It found that "Pumpkin seeds raw as well as processed could reduce the depression. The result was similar to that of standard drugs."

Baldness (androgenetic alopecia)

A randomized double-blind study (13) evaluated the effects of Pumpkin seed oil on 76 patients suffering from mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia. They received either a placebo or 400 mg per day of pumpkin seed oil for 24 weeks. The study found that the oil-treated men had 40% mean hair count increases vs. only 10% in the placebo group. And, the "[pumpkin seed oil] treated group had more hair after treatment than at baseline, compared to the placebo group."

Urinary incontinence

Nocturnal incontinence has been shown effective in treating nocturia (nocturnal incontinence). A study evaluated the effects in 45 subjects suffering from overactive bladder, and found that pumpkin seed oil (10 g/day) over 12 weeks "significantly reduced the degree of Overactive Bladder Symptom Score in the subjects" (11)

Benign Prostate Hypertrophy (BPH)

A clinical trial evaluated the effects of pumpkin seed oil obtained from Curcubita pepo in 2,000 men suffering from benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). The study found that a dosage of 500 to 1,000 mg/day of this oil over 12 weeks decreased the prostate symptom scores by 41.4%; only 4% of the patients reported side effects. Pumpkin seed oil improves BPH symptoms. (14)

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 47 men with BPH who were followed for one year. They were split into four groups that received either a placebo (starch - group A), or 320 mg/day of pumpkin seed oil (group B), palmetto oil (group C), and palmetto oil plus pumpkin seed oil (group D). The trial found that "administrations of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil are clinically safe and may be effective as complementary and alternative medicine treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia." However, it should be pointed out that "there were no statistically significant differences in all BPH parameters among groups at every treatment time." (6)

Diabetes

A 2024 meta-analysis of studies showing the effects of pumpkin seeds on diabetes (15) found that it has sugar-lowering effects (hypoglycemic activity) and concluded that pumpkin seed can be "used as a complementary therapy for people with diabetes mellitus."

Intestinal Parasites

Pumpkin seeds have proven effective against gastrointestinal parasites like helminths in both humans and animals. (4)

Blood Pressure Control and Cholesterol

The plant sterols found in pumpkin seed and their high content of unsaturated fatty acids have proven effective in reducing high blood pressure, lowering "bad" Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and increasing High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol. (5),(7)

Add Pumpkin Seeds to your Diet

Save the seeds from your squash or pumpkins, and wash, and dry them. You can use them raw or roasted as snacks, or you can add them to dishes as a topping (soups, salads, yogurt, cereal, porridge).
Grind them into a powder to blend into a smoothie or make a tea with the raw seeds.

Home-Made Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Savory snack, topping, seeds.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a great snack, a topping for soup, and a crunchy salad. Add them to your cereal or oatmeal too.

Gluten-Free

High Calorie

Keto Diet

Total time: 25'

Ketogenic Diet dish, appropriate for a pescetarian ⁄ pesco-vegetarian diet. Suitable for a Gluten-Free diet.

Makes 1/2 lb (230 g). This recipe is for thirty (30) servings of 1 Tbsp / 8 g each.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes (roasting)
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups of clean raw pumpkin seeds (roughly 8 oz. / 220 g).
• 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (9 g).
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Rinse the pumpkin seeds in water, and remove the orange pulp that may have stuck to them. Dry thoroughly on a paper towel, the drier they are, the better they will roast. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a bowl mix the ingredients until the seeds are coated. Spread them onto a baking tray.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they are a golden brown color. Stir halfway through.
Cool and store in a jar.

You can add spices (1/2 teaspoon) of garlic powder or chili powder for a spicy taste.

Nutrition facts

The values are based on one - 1 serving of 1 tablespoon (8 g).

Item

Value

Calories per serving

40

Total Fat content

1.7 g

Protein content

1.9 g

Carbohydrate content

1.3 g

Fiber content

0.3 g

Net Carbohydrate content**

1.0 g

Risks and Side Effects

Avoid eating pumpkin seeds if you have an allergy to squash or pumpkin.
Always add new ingredients in small amounts so that your digestive tract can become accustomed to them. The fiber and carbohydrates in pumpkin seeds could cause gases and abdominal pain.