Health benefits of eating pumpkin seeds

Thursday, May 30, 2013 by: Sandeep Godiyal
Tags: pumpking seeds, pepitas, healthy seeds

(NaturalNews) If you are acidic, or even somewhat acidic, in your stomach, you'd probably be thankful that pumpkin seeds exist. Everywhere, people are preparing dangerously acidic meals. To counteract the negative effects of acidic foods and meals, take note of studying and incorporating pumpkin seeds into your diet.

Pumpkin historical facts and trivia

• Pumpkin was originally discovered in Mexican caves dating back to about 7,000 BC.

• The North Americans were the first people to use pumpkins as food and as herbal medicine.

• Today, pumpkin seeds, called pepitas by the Mexicans, are a basic ingredient in Mexican dishes.

• People of ancient Greece also made use of pumpkin seeds.

• For every 100 grams of pumpkin seeds, one can get 559 calories.

These seeds increase in nutritive value as they age. According to research done in the Experimental Station in Massachusetts, squash and seeds of pumpkin that have been stored for a long, long time increase in their protein content.

More nutrition facts and health benefits

• Pumpkin seeds have large amounts of minerals that include copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus.

• These seeds are rich in Vitamin K.

• These seeds are able to help in lowering LDL cholesterol in human bodies. This is because they have phytosterols compounds.

• Pumpkin seeds promote sleep and lower depression. This is due to the presence of tryptophan (in them) which when absorbed in the body becomes serotonin, a good sleep inducer.

• Pumpkin seeds contain big amount of zinc, a mineral very important in preventing osteoporosis.

• Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of vitamin E and the B vitamins.

• Pumpkin seeds are full of protein as mentioned earlier. They also reduce inflammation associated with arthritis.

• Pumpkin seeds have been found to have the ability to prevent formation of kidney stones.

• In some cultures, pumpkin seeds are used as a natural remedy for tapeworm and many other parasites.

• Pumpkin seeds are perfect for men who are at risk of developing prostate cancer. The oil contained in these seeds helps to alleviate urination associated with enlarged prostate.

Time to take a closer look at squash

Squash and its seeds are not as popular as other natural health sources, so some people might not even be considering it. With the large number of benefits mentioned above, it is time that people take a look at pumpkin seeds for the many benefits they can bring. They can be the health gem people have been searching for.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=82

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-raw-pumpkin-seeds-6627.html

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin-seeds.html

About the author:
Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co.

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