Do you like pumpkins? Well, I am not particularly a fan of pumpkins. But when I was given ‘Pumpkin Seeds Benefits’ to write about, I had to read about it. And I am not going to lie at first when I got this topic I laughed a bit. But when I researched the health benefits of pumpkin seeds, I wasn’t laughing anymore.

It made me realize how small things in our lives can have huge impacts on our health. There are so many things that have so many health and other benefits but we don’t know about them, so, we cannot use them for ourselves.

Well here is one of those many things that have many benefits for us. So, let’s see how we can use ‘Pumpkin Seeds’ and what benefits they will get us.

In this article, we will take a look at some major benefits of pumpkin seeds.

1. Prevents Cancer – Pumpkin seeds contain vitamin E and carotenoids and other antioxidants in huge amounts that help reduce inflammation and protect us from numerous other diseases including cancer. These antioxidants protect from breast cancer and colorectal cancer. And the carotenoids protect from prostate cancer.
2. Manages Diabetes & Blood Pressure – Pumpkin seeds are a great choice to help with diabetes. These seeds contain hypoglycaemic properties and magnesium that helps in lowering blood sugar levels and helps in managing diabetes. These seeds can also help with problems such as high cholesterol and regulations of blood pressure.
3. Prevents Heart Diseases – Pumpkin seeds are packed with unsaturated fats and alpha-linolenic acids (ALAs) and these are beneficial for the heart. These prevent cardiovascular diseases too.

A study in 2011 shows that pumpkin seed oil helps to improve cholesterol levels in women after the menopause stage.

4. Immunity Booster – Pumpkin contains vitamin E and zinc. Vitamin E enhances immunity and provides protection against many infectious diseases. Zinc, on the other hand, provides relief against inflammation, allergies and prevents infections while increasing overall immunity.
5. Quality Sleep – Pumpkin seeds have amino acid tryptophan present which helps with good sleep. Amino acid tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin and melatonin which helps in inducing sleep.
6. Good for Strong Bones & Weight Loss – Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium which is good for the strength and growth of bones. It also prevents osteoporosis in women after menopause.

Pumpkin seeds also carry proteins and fibers. These make us feel full with less consumption of food and hence reduces our calorie intake which results in weight reduction.

7. Good for Skin & Hairs – Pumpkin seeds make our skin soft, infection-free, acne-free, and wrinkle-free. The consumption of pumpkin seeds also makes our hair strong, silky, and shiny.

How can you consume pumpkin seeds?

1. You can dry the seeds and roast them, even add some spices or other flavors if you don’t like them otherwise.
2. You can use them in baking or garnish or in salad or soup.
3. You can make salads or desserts or savory with it too, like pumpkin and cucumber salad or nut and seed crusted cottage cheese and many more.

Possible side effects of pumpkin seeds

1. Excess consumption can cause stomachache, bloating, and constipation.
2. Since these seeds have a huge amount of protein and fibers, excessive consumption can result in weight gain instead of weight loss.
3. People allergic to pumpkin seeds can show symptoms such as headaches, itching, rashes, difficulty in breathing, etc.

I hope this article gave you some health tips. Many things have a positive effect on our body and health but even those things can be harmful if used in excess. So, use everything moderately and keep yourself healthy and fit.