Pumpkin seeds are a natural pill. They are keto-friendly, good for cholesterol and constipation, and a great source of protein that is easy to add to soups and salads.
Pumpkin seeds have been on the Mexican table for literally millions of years. There they were known for their nutritional properties, while in the rest of the world the context of environmental awareness and the search for sources of vegetable protein are the factors that have managed to put them in the spotlight.
Nowadays, we can find them alone or prepared with other seeds such as sesame seeds and chia seeds. The aim of these mixtures is to add a spoonful of minerals, proteins, and antioxidants to our dishes in a simple and delicious way. Below, is everything about pumpkin seeds, what they can do for our health, and how to eat them.
What are pumpkin seeds?
Pumpkin seeds are the seeds of the pumpkin, the fruit of the plant of the Cucurbita genus, which we all recognize by its exuberant orange hue. These seeds are rich in nutrients such as high-quality proteins, fiber, minerals, and components as beneficial as phenols, also present in green coffee.
Its nutritional profile makes it a small natural pill with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. If there is something even better, it is its tryptophan content that contributes to improving our mood and its thiamine content that helps improve our memory.
The ease of use in the kitchen is astonishing. Plain or toasted, as they have been eaten for centuries in Central America, they represent an ideal snack between meals. Not only that, but in that same format we can add them to practically all our dishes, salads, baked goods, creams, and soups. More recent is the trend of eating pumpkin seed cream in the purest style of peanut butter, spreading it on bread or with fruit.
Origin and history of pumpkin seeds
In Central America, pumpkin seeds have long been a part of our daily life. Specifically in Mexico, the Mesoamerican region where pumpkins were domesticated 10 billion years ago. Since then, they have been part of the diet: stems, flowers, and pulp have been used and the seeds, which concern us today, were especially revered for being very nutritious and non-perishable.
Its wild version, like all foods with such historical vestiges, is far from the current domesticated one. The wild pumpkin was more bitter and had little flesh, which changed as cultivation adapted to human needs. The most widely traded pumpkin species worldwide today is Cucurbita pepo. China, Holland, and Mexico are competing for the podium as the main exporters.
Nutritional value
Almost 200% of the recommended daily amount of magnesium, 97% of zinc, 176% of phosphorus, 31% of potassium, and a not inconsiderable 15% of selenium… We can firmly state that pumpkin seeds are very rich in minerals. They also contain fiber, which helps us fight constipation, although they remain low in carbohydrate content, making them suitable for ketogenic diets, those that reduce carbohydrates to a minimum.
- Energy (kcal): 603
- Carbohydrates (g): 10.71
- Fat (g): 47.3
- Protein (g): 30.23
- Fiber (g): 6
- Calcium (mg): 46
- Iron (mg): 8.82
- Magnesium (mg): 592
- Potassium (mg): 809
- Sodium (mg): 7
- Phosphorus (mg): 1233
- Selenium (mcg): 9.4
- Zinc (mg): 7.81
Properties and benefits of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds help lower cholesterol, prevent hyperglycemia, reduce anxiety, and improve mood, as well as take care of our heart. Due to their vitamin content, they are also allies of our memory, and their protein content makes them the ideal complement to vegetarian diets. They are also allies of the skin, reducing sun spots, and preventing obesity, and the phenols they have in common with green coffee give them anti-cancer properties that are being investigated in depth.
Lowers cholesterol
Pumpkin seeds contain 53% niacin and one study showed that consuming pumpkin seed oil for 3 months could significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels and even lower blood pressure.
Cholesterol no longer needs too many introductions, what is necessary is to continue learning how to keep LDL regulated, the type of cholesterol related to the development of cardiovascular pathologies. To do this, a simple option is to consume niacin, vitamin B3, which not only reduces it, but also increases HDL, the most cardioprotective type of cholesterol.
Reduces anxiety and improves mood
In periods where anxiety is present or our mood is low, what we need to increase in our diet is tryptophan. This amino acid promotes the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that gives us a pleasant state of well-being.
The recommended daily amount of tryptophan is 5 mg per kg of body weight. That is, if we weigh 60 kg, the ideal would be to take around 300 mg of tryptophan per day. Well, in 100 g of pumpkin seeds, we find up to 576 mg of tryptophan. Therefore, adding a handful to our dishes is an ideal way to give extra support to our spirits.
It ensures us a good portion of daily protein
More than 30% of every 100 g of pumpkin seeds are proteins. Not only that but they are known for being quality proteins, meaning that they contain practically all the amino acids and are also easily digestible. To get an idea, we can take a look at the amino acid score, a formula that assesses which amino acids a gram of food contains, in what quantity, and how easy it is to use them once ingested. The result is given in percentages, and all those close to 100% indicate that it is a food with high protein value.
The amino acid score of pumpkin seeds is between 90 and 170%, making it a benchmark for increasing the amount of plant-based protein in our diet. They are only low in the amino acid lysine, which is easily supplemented by eating a piece of bread with pumpkin seeds.
Improve our skin and our vision
Pro-vitamin A, once metabolized into vitamin A, plays a very important role in maintaining the skin, tissues, and mucous membranes. It is known as one of the most antioxidant vitamins and is capable of helping to reduce sun spots on the skin as well as increasing collagen production.
It is also called retinol because it produces retinal pigments, improving our vision, especially in dim light. Pumpkin seeds contribute to all this and their approximate content of 2% pro-vitamin A per 100 g handful.
Supports the immune system
Although we saw the action of vitamin A or retinol on skin and vision, it also acts actively by stimulating the production of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights microorganisms. This function is reinforced by the immune action of vitamin E present in up to 14% of pumpkin seeds.
Lowers blood sugar
On the other hand, pumpkin seeds are anti-hyperglycemic. This was demonstrated by studies carried out with animals in which the intake of 15 g of pumpkin seeds in powder significantly reduced blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Antihypertensive and antiobesity
One of the lesser-known components present in pumpkin seeds is chlorogenic acid. This compound present in green coffee is slimming, satiating and reduces the need to eat sweet foods, which is why eating pumpkin seeds is highly recommended for losing weight, maintaining weight, and preventing obesity.
Chlorogenic acid also helps lower blood pressure. It does not do so alone. It is helped by the high magnesium content present in pumpkin seeds, which in just 100 g can provide up to 190% of the recommended daily amount of this prized antihypertensive mineral.
Contributes to a good memory
Pumpkin seeds contain 23% thiamine. The main function of this vitamin is to ensure that we get all the energy we need from carbohydrates. In case of deficiency, the body cannot metabolize carbohydrates properly and the person may suffer from muscle loss and memory loss. Adding a handful of pumpkin seeds to your salad, soup or on bread promises to protect you from this.
Helps prevent cancer
Caffeic acid, isoflavones and phytoestrogens are part of the compounds responsible for the anti-cancer power of pumpkin seeds. Today, pumpkin seeds are credited with a special protective and preventive capacity against breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer, with results having been obtained with both the intake of pumpkin seed oil and the seeds.
Contraindications of pumpkin
Pumpkin seeds, like other seeds and nuts, should not be given to children under 3 years of age due to the risk of choking. Likewise, those who are allergic to nuts and other seeds of the genus should be cautious.
Recipes with pumpkin seeds and their uses in cooking
Versatility and subtlety are the two words that pumpkin seeds are known for when they enter the kitchen. We can enjoy them as a snack, just like we would with sunflower seeds, either raw or toasted.
We can also add them to our pumpkin cream, our broccoli cream or cauliflower, and carrot cream because they provide a tasty crunchy contrast and a good nutritional contribution to all of them. In colder and summery options such as salmorejo or on avocado cream, it also works wonders.
When baking, an excellent option is to add them on top of our last loaf of bread or together with a little oatmeal, nuts, and honey when making our homemade muesli and granola. In short, a good handful of pumpkin seeds alone or topping other dishes is one of the easiest ways to enjoy and improve our health.
How many pumpkin seeds can you eat per day? Are they fattening?
Pumpkin seeds are not fattening, pumpkin seeds are high in calories, which is something very different.
For every 100 g of natural pumpkin seeds, we add up to 600 kcal to our diet. The figure alone does not say anything, but we must ask ourselves if it fits into our personal needs. On average, a healthy adult weighing around 60 or 70 kg, with an average level of physical activity, will easily need to consume between 1,500 and 2,000 kcal per day. It would certainly be a shame if more than a third of this amount were spent on just one food, however healthy it may be.
So, although pumpkin seeds by themselves do not make you fat and are a very healthy food, a handful of about 30 g a day, about 180 kcal, is enough to add more protein, phenols, and fiber to our diet and still leave a good space for many other healthy foods.
Is it better to eat pumpkin seeds, roasted or raw?
Pumpkin seeds are best eaten raw. The reason is the same for all foods: the heat of roasting causes the loss of nutrients, such as the denaturation of proteins and vitamins. However, it is never counterproductive to eat them roasted.