Top 12 Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Oil
Don’t you love scooping the guts out of a pumpkin, cleaning off the seeds and roasting them in the oven? Us too!
Did you know that those tasty little kernels are packed with goodness?
Unfortunately, roasting them at high temperatures destroys a lot of the nutrition inside. They’re still a good source of fiber and some vitamins, but after roasting to crunchy perfection they’re more of a snack with some healthy qualities, than a healthy food per se.
Many of the nutritious properties of the seeds are found in the oil, though, and if it’s extracted properly they won’t be damaged or eliminated.
Healthy fats are a very important part of every diet and a big part of pumpkin oil’s nutritional profile.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, they are “crucial for normal growth and development and for brain function, and they help to stimulate hair and skin growth, regulate metabolism, and maintain bone health and the reproductive system.” Pumpkin seed oil contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties.
Assuming that you’ve got raw, certified organic pumpkin seed oil that hasn’t been damaged by heat or friction, what benefits can it have for your health?
12 Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Oil
- Bladder benefits. Incontinence and bladder irritation are a concern for many people, especially women post-childbirth and post-menopause. Pumpkin oil strengthens the muscles that support the bladder (which can help to prevent prolapse and stress incontinence) and also soothe bladder irritation, reducing urge incontinence.
- Prostate performance. There is a strong body of evidence that shows that pumpkin seed oil can prevent prostate enlargement — a major health issue for men over 60. Not only that, but it has even been found to reverse enlargement in men who are already experiencing the discomfort of an enlarged prostate.
- Hold onto your hair. Male pattern baldness (as well as hair loss in women) is sometimes associated with overly high levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). One of the phytochemicals in pumpkin oil, beta-sitosterol, has been found to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT. Pumpkin oil also contains delta-7-sterol, which blocks DHT via a different mechanism. The effects of these naturally occurring chemicals have led to speculation and anecdotal evidence for pumpkin oil as a treatment for hair loss.
- Heal your digestive tract. The high fatty acid content of pumpkin oil can balance out excess inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, helping to soothe uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms associated with an unhealthy digestive tract. This can have a secondary impact, in that you will absorb more nutrition from your food if your GI tract is functioning properly.
- Make your heart happy. Want to reduce your risk of heart disease? Pumpkin seed oil can help you accomplish that goal. According to HealthandEnergyFoods.com: “Pumpkin seed oil has high levels of phytosterols which are believed to help reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad type of cholesterol) by lowering its absorption when taken with a meal containing cholesterol.”
- Build your bones. Vitamins A and K build strong bones and help to prevent fractures and post-menopausal bone loss.
- Support your liver. Since pumpkin seed oil is a great source of healthy fats and antioxidants, consuming it can help support liver health. On top of that, using it in place of certain anti-inflammatory drugs can protect your liver from unnecessary damage. William Gamonski at LifeExtension.com explains the studies that back this up: “the indomethacin-supplemented rats experienced increased levels of liver lipid peroxidation, an indicator of liver injury, whereas the pumpkin seed oil group experienced no side effects.”
- Get better sleep. One of the most interesting components of pumpkin seed oil is tryptophan, which breaks down into serotonin and promotes restful sleep. Longer, deeper sleep can help to lower your stress levels and increase your overall health.
- Protect your peepers. Perfectly Pressed pumpkin seed oil contains high levels of zeaxanthin, an antioxidant that has been shown to protect your eyes from UV and blue light damage.
- Nourish your brain. Pumpkin seed oil is high in essential fats, which are the primary fuel for your brain.
- Ease the symptoms of menopause. As Vivian Kelly at WeWomen.ca puts it: “Hot flashes and insomnia may be a thing of the past! Hurrah. Research now shows that postmenopausal women could get some relief with the use of pumpkin seed oil.” The natural phytoestrogens in pumpkin seed oil can help to lower your blood pressure and provide relief from symptoms like hot flashes, headaches and joint pain.
- Promote a healthy inflammation response. A lot of the daily aches and pains we experience are the result of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a normal, healthy response to injury, but excessive inflammation can actually cause more pain and discomfort, along with other health concerns. Sound familiar? Well, HealthImpactNews.com has good news: “Pumpkin seed oil has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. One animal study even found it worked as well as the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin in treating arthritis, but without the side effects.”
Go Styrian or go home…
If you source Styrian pumpkin seed oil specifically, the benefits only get better! In fact, Styrian pumpkins are not grown for eating, only their seeds are considered valuable. The seeds are so incredibly nutritious that it makes it worth it to grow Styrian pumpkins just for their seed yield.
RealRawFood.com says that: “Compared to other unrefined vegetable oils, Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil has the greatest protective effect against health-threatening “free radicals” – aggressive molecules. This was the finding of a comparative clinical trial conducted by the Institute for Biochemistry of the Technische University, Graz”. This is great news for your immune system and your gut health.
Pumpkin seed oil is one of the five nutritious oils that we’ve always included in the powerful mix that we call Panaseeda Five Seed Blend.
While Five Seed is a great way to get the benefits of many seeds in one bottle, pumpkin oil is so nutritious and so deliciously nutty and rich that we thought our customers deserved the chance to enjoy it all on its own.
Introducing, Panaseeda Styrian Pumpkin Oil! This is by far the best-quality pumpkin oil on the planet. You will begin noticing the benefits of it almost immediately and the flavor will take your smoothies, salads dressings and other recipes to a whole new level.
Our special pressing process ensures that there is no damage to the organic Styrian pumpkin seeds. After we press them, we store them in UV-protective Miron glass bottles to keep the oil fresh and nutritious.
Try Panaseeda Styrian Pumpkin today!
Related Links:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/30/pumpkin-seed-benefits.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25341255
http://superfoodprofiles.com/pumpkin-seed-oil-health-benefits
http://draxe.com/pumpkin-seed-oil/
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin-seeds.html
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