How Healthy are Pumpkin Seeds?

Sep 18, 2016
3 min read

With fall settling in, many of us plan our yearly trips for apple picking, as well as pumpkin picking. We use pumpkins as decorations, carve them for fun, and use them to make pies and other seasonal treats. But what about their seeds? What sort of nutritional value do they contain, and are they healthy?

Let's begin with the nutrition information for 1 cup of pumpkin seeds...

Now you might be thinking "wow, that's a lot of fat." Well first of all, unless you're indulging (which let's face it is something we all do once in a while), you're most likely not going to consume 1 cup of pumpkin seeds in one sitting. Second of all, you have to remember that the majority of the fat in pumpkin seeds are your healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). In fact, pumpkin seeds contain 6.032g of monounsaturated fats, and 8.844g of polyunsaturated fats which have shown to be heart healthy.

As with most plant based foods, the nutrients of pumpkin seeds are the reason why they are so healthy for us. In particular, there are certain nutrients that are of utmost importance to mens health. Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacins which is a phytonutrient that helps prevent the prostate from enlarging. Cucurbitacins helps to prevent testosterone from converting to dihydrotestetosterone which accelerates production of prostate cells. Due to this effect, pumpkin seeds promote prostate health, as well as decrease the risk of development of prostate cancer.

In addition, pumpkin seeds are a beneficial source of zinc. Zinc has been shown to decrease the risk of decreased bone mineral density which contributes to a lower risk of osteoporosis. Furthermore, zinc plays an important role in fertility as well as immune system health.

Although pumpkin seeds are not a great source of vitamin E, they contain multiple forms of the vitamin. Alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, alpha-tocomonoenol, and gamma-tocomonoenol are all different forms of vitamin E contained in pumpkin. This is important to your health because vitamin E is a known antioxidant. Antioxidants have be shown to be beneficial in the elimination of free-radicals within the body and therefore decrease the risk for cancer specifically breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Additional benefits of pumpkin seeds:

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein especially for those who are vegetarian and vegan.
Pumpkin seeds have been shown to have anti-microbial components including anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.
Studies are showing a link between pumpkin seeds and their treatment of diabetes. Specifically, prevention of consequences to kidney function as well as improved insulin regulation.
Due to the relationship with soil throughout growth to harvest, pumpkin seeds are a beneficial source of important minerals in the diet including zinc, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Tips:

When selecting pumpkin seeds at the grocery store for purchase, it is best to select seeds that have been unsalted. Salted pumpkin seeds tend to have high amounts of sodium per serving which increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and other conditions.
Pumpkin seeds are available for purchase with the husk removed or in tact. The hulls of pumpkin seeds contain high amounts of fiber and also increases the concentration of zinc if consumed. The seeds can be eaten both ways it is just a matter of preference.

If you do purchase pumpkins this year for carving, save the seeds and try roasting them yourself. Simply wash and dry the seeds, toss them in olive oil, spread on a baking sheet and roast on low heat for about 20 minutes. Once removed from the oven salt them if desired (this is better than purchasing salted seeds because you can control the amount of salt). Happy fall, and as always happy eating!

References:

1. United States Department of Agriculture. National nutrient database for standard reference. United States Department of Agriculture Website. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3695?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=50&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=pumpkin+seeds&ds=Standard+Reference. Updated May 2016. Accessed September 17, 2016.

2. Mateljan G. The world's healthiest foods. 1st ed. Seattle, Washington: GMF Publishing; 2007.

3. Parragon, inc. 100 best health foods. 1st ed. New York, NY: Parragon Books; 2015.