I have a feeling, that not many people like eating pumpkins, especially youngsters. I didn’t when I was younger. Not too long ago, I baked a pumpkin cauliflower pie for my vegan nieces on Christmas Day and it wasn’t well-received. My bad for not asking if they like pumpkins. Anyway, pumpkin has impressive health benefits but if you don’t like it, consider pumpkin seeds. There are several health benefits eating pumpkin seeds you should know. It is never too late to introduce this to your diet. Perhaps later, you may like eating pumpkin itself. Read on to learn more about pumpkin seeds.
What Is Pumpkin Seeds
A short introduction is necessary.
Pumpkin seeds are edible seeds that come from pumpkin, a fruit from the squash family. Flat and dark green in colour, pumpkin seeds are subtly sweet with a nutty flavour and a chewy texture.
They are a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine, also referred to as pepitas, Spanish for “little seed of squash”.
If you are from where I am, Malaysia, pumpkin seeds are called “White Kuaci” by the Malaysian Chinese. These “kuaci” are usually sold unshelled, encased in a yellow-white husk.
Nowadays, pumpkin seeds are available for purchase in various forms. They can be raw and shelled, raw and unshelled, roasted and shelled, roasted and unshelled.
In this post, I’m referring to dark green raw-shelled pumpkin seeds.
briefly, Pumpkin Seeds Nutrition Facts
A one-ounce (28g) serving of pumpkin seeds gives you
- Total Fat: 14g => 18% Daily Value* (DV) out of which 6g is Omega-6
- Total Carbohydrate: 3g => 1% DV and contain mostly dietary fibre at 1.7g
- Protein: 8.6g => 17% DV
*The Daily Value (DV) percentage tells you how much a nutrient contributes to your daily diet in a serving.
The minerals content is quite impressive especially the following
- Copper – 42% DV
- Magnesium – 42% DV
- Manganese – 56% DV
- Phosphorus – 50%DV
- Zinc – 20% DV
Vitamins found in pumpkin seeds are Vitamin E and Vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
What is Pumpkin Seeds Good For
Generally, seeds are considered excellent sources of magnesium, potassium and calcium. Plant seeds, in particular, are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.
In this case, the fatty acids in pumpkin seeds contain a range of beneficial nutrients, such as sterols, squalene, and tocopherols. Researchers concluded with a favourable fatty acid profile predominantly unsaturated (1). This is “good fats”.
Read on to find out how these components benefit your health.
1. Fight Oxidative Stress & Reduce Inflammation
Pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in the form of Vitamin E.
In specific, gamma-tocopherol, the major form of Vitamin E has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties. And this is found in pumpkin seeds (1, 2)
Did you know antioxidants protect your cells from harmful free radicals that are the root causes of many diseases? It includes cardiovascular disease that involves the heart and blood vessels.
That’s why consuming foods rich in Vitamin E can help protect against many diseases and reduce inflammation.
2. Support Bone Health
Magnesium is important for bone formation and pumpkin seeds contribute 42% of the daily value in a 28g serving. An adult body contains approximately 2g of magnesium, with 50% to 60% present in the bones. Greater bone density decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
In addition, magnesium plays an active role in transporting calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes. This process is important to muscle contraction and normal heart rhythm.
Phosphorus is another mineral that is important in the formation of bones and teeth. It is needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues.
Also, phosphorus helps the body make ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy. Pumpkin seeds provide 50% of the daily value in a 28g serving.
3. Boost Heart Health
A study concluded that high magnesium intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease risk factors mainly metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of diabetes, hypertension and obesity. This puts you at greater risk of getting heart disease, stroke and other conditions that affect the blood vessels.
4. Reduce Blood Sugar Levels
Still on the topic of magnesium.
The high magnesium content of pumpkin seeds may help control blood sugar levels. So, if you are struggling to control your sugar levels, magnesium helps. In other words, pumpkin seeds help.
A study covering over 127,000 people found that diets rich in magnesium were associated with a 34% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women and a 33% lower risk in men.
5. Enhance Digestive Health & Support Weight Loss
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of dietary fibre.
A diet high in fibre not only promotes good digestive health but has been reported to have a positive effect on health including a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and obesity (1).
Furthermore, high-fibre food makes you feel fuller longer with fewer calories. Great for Weight Watchers.
6. May Help Improve Sleep
Are you having trouble sleeping? You need to know this.
Pumpkin seeds are a natural source of tryptophan, an amino acid that can help promote sleep. A study shows that L-tryptophan in doses of 1g or more produces an increase in rated subjective sleepiness and a decrease in sleep latency. Sleep latency is the amount of time it takes you to go from being fully awake to sleeping.
A 28g serving of pumpkin seeds gives you 58% DV of tryptophan.
Zinc in pumpkin seeds can also help convert tryptophan to serotonin, which is then changed into melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle.
Do you still remember the magnesium content in pumpkin seeds? Adequate magnesium levels have also been associated with better sleep (1).
In brief, pumpkin seeds, a good source of tryptophan, zinc and magnesium, all of this help promote good sleep.
7. May Reduce Risk of Certain Cancer
A diet rich in pumpkin seeds has been associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers.
A control-study in German postmenopausal women was used to evaluate the association of phytoestrogen-rich foods and dietary lignans with breast cancer risk. The result provided evidence for a reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk associated with increased consumption of pumpkin seeds together with sunflower seeds and soybeans.
In a Nutshell
Pumpkin seeds may be small but they’re packed full of valuable nutrients.
Its mineral contents are abundant, providing you with about half the daily value needed in copper, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. These minerals are needed to support your health including bone and heart health and control your blood sugar levels.
Pumpkin seeds are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which help in fighting oxidative stress while reducing inflammation. These are the root causes of many modern-day diseases, especially cardiovascular disease.
If you have difficulty falling asleep at night, the components in pumpkin seeds can help. And, its fibre content helps ease constipation as well as weight control.
Now that you’re aware of the various health benefits eating pumpkin seeds, what do you think? How about switching over to a healthy snack of pumpkin seeds rather than nibbling on fried snacks? Let us know in the comments section below.
How to eat pumpkin seeds? Read here.
Start snacking on pumpkin seeds
If you like to start snacking on healthy pumpkin seeds, look at what I have found for you.
For US Readers, below products can be purchased on Amazon US (Affiliate link*)
Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Pumpkin Seeds
#1 Best Seller in pumpkin seeds with 9k+ bought in past month.
Raw & unsalted. Certified Organic and Non-GMO verified.
Harvested For You Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt
If you like your pumpkin seeds to be lightly salted, then this is for you.
Oh! Nuts Roasted Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds
You might like pumpkin seeds to be roasted. It is healthy add-on to salads, soups or baking. Also available raw and roasted salted.
*I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This allows me to enjoy a cup of coffee while writing and sharing more articles like this one.
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Learn more: More nutty information and stories
- What Health Benefits Do Walnuts Have
- What Health Benefits Do Almonds Have
- How Healthy is Granola Bars
Happy shopping and thanks for reading.
Me YourHealthy Corner – Stay in good health, healthy eating habits
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional, and this post should not be taken as medical advice. Please do your own research. The material on this blog is provided for informational purposes only. It is general information that may not apply to you as an individual and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical care or advice.
Hey there! This was an absolutely awesome read. As a health nut myself (no pun intended), I’m really interested in learning about nutritious food and what benefits I can get from consuming them. I really like having handful of pumpkin seeds every now and then. Also, I live in germany so I get pumpkin seed brotchen which is basically a roll with pumpkin seeds on them. I think everyone should have pumpkin seeds as part of their diet especially since they help prevent certain types of cancer and promote good sleep and healthy weight loss. Many people nowadays aren’t aware of the benefits of eating pumpkin seeds and your article was very informative and worth my time to read. Thanks for this awesome post and I hope you have a wonderful day!
When I wrote and shared this post, I didn’t expect to learn more about food from other countries. Earlier, Alejandra shared her Mexican Mole Verde, and now German Pumpkin Seeds Brotchen. I love bread making and this I will definitely try. I’ve just searched the recipe, and it’s doable. Coincidentally, I bought a bag of whole wheat graham flour yesterday.
All said, this means pumpkin seeds is a versatile food ingredient, and we can easily include them in our daily diet for health benefits. No matter which country we are from.
Thanks for reading this post and commenting, Gabriel.
Food brings people together.
Thank you so much for sharing a great article to read today to learn more about Pumpkin seeds health benefits, I’m mexican and I know we love to have Pepitas often, as a snack and as an ingridient of many recipes, the most known is the Mole Verde or Green Mole and I must say that mole is the favourite of many. I love to have pumpkin seeds from time to time and your article helped me to get more information about its benefits, it’s also good to know what % of fat, protein and carbs you can get from there, I must say this will help you to know how much to have if you’re doing a diet to get fitter.
After reading your article, it’s clear for me pumpkin seeds have many benefits, and the best is we all can have them at home and use them as a snack or to garnish any dish, they go great on salads!
Hi Alejandra. Nice to see you here.
I have pumpkin seeds on salads too and most of my homemade bread. Also, have them in my muesli for overnight oats. They give more texture to the oatmeal.
Thanks for telling us about the Mole Verde. I’ve just searched it up and quite interested in trying this sauce. My family likes spicy food.
Good day!
Good afternoon Sharon,
My personal experience with pumpkin seeds is very positive.
I normally do a bone density test every 2 or 3 years. Over the years, I was seeing a steady decline until I started eating these seeds.
In 2 years I had improved over 2%. You might think that is not much but let’s face it, getting older and improving is great. I am 71 now and my bones are getting stronger thanks to having introduced pumpkin seeds years ago in my daily diet.
Food plays a significant role in your health.
Regards, Taetske
You are absolutely correct, Taetske. That 2% isn’t much but tells a lot for seniors. I’m happy for you on your improvement.
Magnesium, important for bone formation contributes 42% daily value in a 28g serving of pumpkin seeds. That’s a lot.
Wishing you good health.
Thank you for such a thorough and comprehensive article.
I had no idea pumpkin seeds were this rich in nutrients and possessed this many health benefits. As a man, I found your article particularly interesting as many of the health benefits you listed go hand in hand with an increase in testosterone production, which is vital for overall male health.
I also struggle with mild insomnia so I may need to consider pumpkin seeds and hope to have a better sleep quality. Thank you again.
Thanks for reading and commenting.