Partly sweet and tasting a bit like nuts, soft and chewable is the texture of the roasted seeds of a pumpkin. It is one of the most delicious food and seeds. Although available year round, they are the freshest in the fall when the season of pumpkins is.
Pumpkin seeds are smooth and dark green in color. Some are had with their yellowish-white peel, and some without. Like cucumbers and pumpkins, pumpkin seeds are of the Cucurbitaceae family. You will recognize the name from the Cucurbita maxima.
Pumpkins and their seeds were very respectable food for Native American Indians for their dietary and medicinal properties. On the return of European researchers from the New World, the cultivation of pumpkin seeds spread on the old continent. Today, they are added to the recipes of different cuisines, but the main use is in traditional Mexican.
Leading commercial producers of pumpkins today are the U.S., Mexico, India and China.
Composition of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds, like pumpkins are very useful and rich in various vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin seeds contain vitamin A, C, K, E and B group vitamins - B1, B2, B5, B6, B9. The minerals are the highest content of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium.
Pumpkin seeds contain essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and a cocktail of nutrients and minerals that are supplemented by a very rare ingredient delta-7 styrene and L-amino combination.
100 g of pumpkin seeds contain 24.6 g protein, 4.3 g fiber, 45.9 g fat, 8.4 g of water, 13.5 g carbohydrates.
Selecting and storing pumpkin seeds
- If you buy pumpkin seeds packaged, look at whether the package is hermetically sealed.
- If you buy bulk seeds, make sure the store has a good attendance, to make sure that they are fresh.
- If possible, smell the pumpkin seeds to make sure they are not spoiled.
- Pumpkin seeds should be stored in the refrigerator where they can last a few months, but most fresh about one or two months.
Pumpkin seeds in cooking
- While you can find roasted pumpkin seeds almost anywhere, it is very fun and enjoyable to bake them for yourself. Separate the seeds from the pumpkin and let them spread out a towel or kitchen roll to dry overnight. The next day, place them in a baking dish and bake at about 75 C for 15-20 minutes as baking them at low temperature and a short time ensures the preservation of all their healthy oils.
- You can add pumpkin seeds to home baked bread.
- Add the roasted pumpkin seeds to mixed green salads.
- Suitable for supplementing any cereal breakfast.
All the benefits of pumpkin seeds are concentrated in the oil from pumpkin seeds. It has a green color and is very tasty. It is therefore best used raw in addition to various salads. A very little known fact is that pumpkin butter has a paralyzing effect on intestinal parasites. Because of this, they can be removed from the body.
Benefits of pumpkin seeds
- Improve Prostate Health. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is a condition that is common in men aged 50 years or more. Experts are doing research on carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in pumpkin seeds in relation to their positive influence on patients having prostate problems. It turns out that men who take more carotenoids have a lower risk of developing BPH.
- Prevent male bone problems. Zinc contained in pumpkin seeds is particularly good for men in old age. While it is considered that the disease osteoporosis is typical for women after menopause, it appears that it is a potential problem for older men, which means that they should include it in their foods.
- They have anti-inflammatory functions on arthritis and are a rich source of minerals, protein and monounsaturated fat. Besides that they work well for arthritis, with a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds, you will get 46.1% of the daily value of magnesium, 28.7% of the CPC of iron, 52% of the CPC of manganese, 24% of DS copper and 16.9% of the CPC proteins.
- Phytosterols found in pumpkin seeds, lower levels of cholesterol. Phytosterols are compounds found in plants and have a chemical structure similar to cholesterol. When present in our diet in sufficient quantity, they reduce cholesterol levels and increase the response of the immune system to the risk of certain cancers.
- Regular consumption of pumpkin seeds is an excellent protection against the formation of kidney stones and urinary tract infections /including cystitis/.
- The oil from pumpkin seeds has a mild laxative effect and strong ulcer defense. Use against cirrhosis and frequent consumption of alcohol.
- Pumpkin seed oil is very beneficial for dry mucous membranes of the nose and dry coughs. It is recommended in the presence of inflammatory diseases of the lungs and airways, stomatitis, periodontal disease and even cataracts.
- It helps in unpleasant skin manifestations such as dermatitis, burns, psoriasis and eczema.
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