Health benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, also known as the powerhouse of nutrition, are seeds you get from the pumpkin fruit. These are sweet and nutty to eat. They have a green outer cover but an oval whitish core. It is a significant ingredient in most Mexican cuisines.
Apart from their use for cooking purposes, pumpkin seeds are also used for various other applications. This attribute of the seed belongs to its valuable nutritional content. A 100gm serving of the seeds is known to contain 6.6gm of fiber, 49gm fat, 30gm protein, and 570 calories of energy. Apart from these, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, and various minerals. All these nutrient content together make the seeds a suitable remedy for various chronic diseases like kidney stones, cancer, heart problems, and many more. Having known so much about the seeds, now let us look at the most popular and common health benefits that you can obtain by including pumpkin seeds in your diet.
Helps in weight loss
As mentioned above, pumpkin seeds contain 6.6gm of fiber per 100gms of its serving. That is, recommended and consumed 100gms of pumpkin seeds are consumed daily, then 22% of the daily recommended quantity reaches the body. This helps in maintaining a moderate weight and also in weight loss. This is because the fiber content of the seeds makes the eater feel full for a longer period of time and thus avoids the cases of frequent munching.
Improves mental health
Magnesium is known to be very healthy in preventing anxiety and stress. It enhances mental peace and thus, avoids the conditions of depression. This quality of magnesium attributes to its electrolyte-balancing properties. Pumpkin seeds are known to contain 37% of the recommended RDI of the mineral. Hence, its consumption is very beneficial to maintain healthy emotional and mental health and prevent conditions of depression.
Prevents sleep problems
Pumpkin seeds if consumed before bedtime, it helps in improving sleep quality. This quality of the pumpkin seeds is a result of the amino acid, tryptophan. Once within the body, it gets converted to sleep hormone, melatonin, and the relaxing hormone serotonin. This promotes better sleep. Besides, the mineral content of the seeds like selenium, zinc, and copper also helps in improving sleep quality and duration. Therefore, pumpkin seeds are a great source of sleep-enhancing and improving qualities.
Enhances male sexual health
Pumpkin seeds contain zinc. Zinc is a major mineral required for male sexual health. It helps in enhancing the quantity and quality of sperm. Therefore, enhances male reproductive health.
Helps prevent inflammation
Pumpkin seeds are rich in antioxidant content. This helps in reducing inflammation in various body parts and organs. Also, it prevents the damage of body cells due to the presence of free radicles within the body. Therefore, consuming the required quantity of pumpkin seeds regularly will maintain the healthy working of the liver, bladder, bowel, and joints.
Reduces the risk of Diabetes
The magnesium content of the seeds is found to be beneficial for this purpose. Everyone gets magnesium from the food that we eat, but when not sufficient as per the required quantity then pumpkin seeds are really helpful. They help in regulating blood sugar levels and thus reduce the risk of diabetes. Alongside, pumpkin seeds help in maintaining the blood sugar content to manage the already existing diabetes.
Associated risks of pumpkin seeds’ oral consumption
Although, pumpkin seeds are very beneficial for various activities of the body. yet, excess consumption will always cause harm. Due to its high fiber content, it can result in rancidity for many people. Also, children must be taken care of while eating pumpkin seeds, as it may even cause choking. Therefore, the best is to maintain a healthy diet plan. Include in your diet all the beneficial food items as possible. Because concentrating on only one item will cause various health issues and will even worsen your health.
Conclusion
Pumpkin seeds are the powerhouse of nutrition. They are so rich in their valuable contents that they can be recommended for dietary and health purposes readily.
Some of the most common benefits that you can obtain from the consumption of the seeds are mentioned above. So, with the consultation of your dietician, you should try and include the recommended amount of seeds in your routine.
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