Pumpkin Seeds Are Usually Thrown Away, But You Should Save Them
Pumpkin Seed Oil Promotes Good Health
You may think of a pumpkin as a rather large gourd that is around at Thanksgiving and Halloween, and that pumpkin pie is fine, but you don't want to buy a pumpkin every week. There's actually a lot more to one than meets the eye. A pumpkin contains hundreds if seeds that you probably throw away, and think of as a waste. However, you should reconsider, as these seeds and the oil produced from them are very good for our health. It's a shame you threw away the seeds from your last pumpkin, as you will see if you read on.
The Greeks snack on pumpkin seeds, which they call passe tempo (time passer). They crack the outer shell with their teeth and chew the small green kernels found inside the hard outer shell. It is from these seeds that the oil is produced, by cold pressing. They lose some of their nutritional value when heated, so if you buy pumpkin seed oil, read the label to ensure that it was obtained by cod pressing. As they are part of the famous Mediterranean diet it should come as no surprise that they are good for you. If you don't want the hassle of removing the kernels and chewing on the seeds, then pumpkin seed oil is for you. Now you can buy it to put on your salads to give the nutty taste of the seed, and benefit from the oil in this way. You can also buy it in capsules which are probably easier to find than the oil which is still a gourmet item.
The oil contains Vitamins A, C, E and K, minerals such as potassium and zinc, as well as Omega-3 fatty acid which we need in our diets. This fatty acid helps lubricate our joints and helps to protect us from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
It also contain the essential amino acid tryptophan which is converted by the liver to niacin, Vitamin B3 which stimulates the central nervous system, aids digestion and the formation of red blood cells and skin. That means that it can help to delay the aging process in the skin. It is suspected that it also helps inhibit certain cancers such as leukemia.
The manganese contained in pumpkin seed oil helps digestion and the bones, and helps us to maintain a healthy reproductive, system. It also helps boost our immune system and our nervous system.
Medical studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil is very beneficial to a man's prostate health, and as many men over 50 have problems with their prostate glands, perhaps you should start taking some now to stave off problems in the future. It also helps with problems associated with an enlarged prostate gland, such as the diuretic effects of this condition. The oil can help "inhibit growth of the prostate due to testosterone" and the study cited in The Journal of Medicinal Foods concludes that "the protective effect of pumpkin seed oil was significant" in helping men with prostate problems.
Potassium which is evident in the oil has positive effects on both men and women's sexual health and it is believed that it can combat infertility. It initiates muscle contraction, so can be beneficial in erectile dysfunctions and it helps relaxation.
In fact the constituents of pumpkin seed oil contribute to our sense of well-being and can lift our mood. The pumpkin seed may have been overlooked in the modern world, but now we are waking up to the benefits of this seed and having a daily intake of pumpkin seed oil will greatly improve our health.
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