PUMPKIN SEEDS

Introduction

The pumpkin is a member of the gourd, or cucurbitaceae family, whose fruit, seeds and seed-oil extract can all be used. The fresh gourd is available during autumn (October and November), but the seeds and oil can be obtained all year round.

Content

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of many nutrients, most notably iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, niacin, thiamin, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin C. There are also traces of chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, selenium, silicon and tin.

The bulk of the pumpkin seeds is fat (45%) and protein (18%), with only 7% being water, 2.3% fibre and 1.4% sucrose. The fat fraction is made up of several valuable fatty acids namely oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid.

Uses

The fatty acid content of pumpkin seeds is very useful for people trying to rebalance their fat intake. Ideally we should be taking in essential fatty acids, such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and cutting out saturated fats from our diets. An imbalance in the fats we eat can cause a variety of problems, such as arteriosclerosis and heart disease, obesity / overweight and acne.

Many people with a fat imbalance crave the wrong type of fats, a common one being chocolate. Pumpkin seeds contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in a blend which is satisfying for the body and which will help to alleviate such cravings.

Pumpkin seeds are good for healing the major elimination routes from the body. In particular, they

·       encourage the elimination of intestinal parasites

·       alleviate prostate swelling and the associated urination problems

·       reduce the incidence of kidney stones and soothe irritable bladder syndrome

Urination problems frequently respond well to zinc supplementation, and the zinc content of pumpkin seeds and their oil is believed to be the reason complaints such as inability to urinate (in males) and incontinence can be alleviated.

Several skin diseases have been seen to respond to pumpkin seeds, including:

·       measles

·       small pox

·       warts

·       boils and carbuncles

Pumpkin seeds also alleviate fever, nausea and motion sickness.