Top health reasons why to consume pumpkin seeds

Pumpkins are one of the fruit vegetables from the drylands that you should make your acquaintance. They are ignored by many people maybe because we were fed as toddlers but can be highly beneficial to you especially the seeds (which happen to be garbage to us). Pumpkin seeds contain serious nutrients such as manganese, zinc, copper, and protein some of which cannot be synthesized by the body. They also contain phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants which can be a plus to your health account.

Below are some of the top health reasons why to consume pumpkin seeds.

1. Heart Healthy Magnesium 

Magnesium helps in the creation of adenosine triphosphate responsible for body energy, helps in the synthesis of RNA and DNA and also plays an important role in bone formation as well as relaxation of your blood vessels. This magnesium has been proven to stabilize blood pressure hence preventing sudden heart attacks. A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds has almost half of the recommended daily amounts of this magnesium.

2. Zinc for Immune Support 

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc which helps to keep the diseases at bay. It is also responsible for a couple of body physiologies such as cell growth and division, sense of taste and smell, eye and skin health, insulin regulation, sleep and male sexual function amongst other benefits. Deficiency of zinc amongst children may lead to learning problems with poor performance in schools being evidenced in serious cases.

3. Plant-Based Omega-3 Fats 

Raw nuts and seeds such as the pumpkin seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid-ALA (the plant-based omega-3. However, this ALA has to be converted by our bodies into the required forms. However, it is highly advisable to complement these plant omega 3 fats with those from animal products as the body cannot produce them.

4. Prostate Health 

Due to the zinc content, pumpkin seeds can be a remedy for prostate health issues in men. Pumpkin seed extracts and oils help in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also identified as an enlarged prostate.

5. Anti-Diabetic Effects 

Studies done on animals indicate that consuming pumpkin seeds helps to improve insulin regulation by decreasing the oxidative stress hence preventing diabetic complications.

How do you consume the seeds? 

For full nutrients benefits, the seeds should be eaten raw. Yeah, you heard me right. If you cannot swallow that, then roasting for about 15 minutes keeping the temperature around 75 degrees Celsius will do. If you feel like watching a movie or relaxing, you can put the nuts away for a moment and enjoy healthy pumpkin seeds and earn all these nutrients at once. Just make sure they are clean and smelling good and you are good to go.