Wondering Why Should You Eat Pumpkin Seeds? Check Out The Reasons Below

Do you eat pumpkin seeds? Yes, you may have seen many celebrities or health-conscious people relishing the seeds with salads, pancakes, and many other food items. Ever wondered why? It's because these little oval-shaped delights are loaded with various health benefits. You can either have them raw or roasted and they can be used for garnishing. Pumpkin seeds are high in antioxidants and are known for improving heart health. A page on Instagram by the name "Nutrition by Lovneet," shares a post dedicated to the reasons why you should include pumpkin seeds into your diet. If you are wondering how to eat the seeds, fret not. The post also mentions different ways to consume the seeds.   

The caption reads, “Pumpkin seeds may be small, but they're packed full of valuable nutrients. Eating only a small amount of them can provide you with substantial health benefits.”

As per the post, here are the reasons why you must include pumpkin seeds in your diet:

1. Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium

These seeds are one of the best sources of magnesium. Healthy magnesium levels are important for your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, as well as heart and bone health.

2. Show antidepressant activity  

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid present in pumpkin seeds, and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the intermediate metabolite of tryptophan. Both tryptophan and 5-HTP are promoted as a treatment for depression. The purported L-tryptophan content of pumpkin seeds helps remedy depression.

3. Can lower sugar levels

Pumpkin seeds have considerable amounts of phenolic antioxidant compounds. Among these compounds, trigonelline, D-chiro-inositol, and nicotinic acid are considered to be insulin action mediators or insulin sensitizers.

4. Can significantly recover blood iron levels

Pumpkin seeds have the ability to significantly recover blood iron levels in the body.

5. Promotes hair growth  

These seeds have a positive anabolic effect on hair growth. It's due to the possible effects of phytosterols present in pumpkin seeds which are known to inhibit 5-reductase.

6. Powerhouse of Zinc

Besides all this, pumpkin seeds are extremely rich in nutrients, especially zinc, which makes them a wonderful immune system protector. This is important for the healthy functioning of the brain, skin, and other organs present in the body. The high zinc content of pumpkin seeds may help improve sperm quality and fertility in men.

The different ways to add pumpkin seeds to your diet are as follows:

1. You can put them into smoothies, yogurt, and fruits

2. Garnish meals by sprinkling some pumpkin seeds on salads, soups, or cereals

3. The other way to follow could be to blend them with other ingredients in a dip like hummus, pesto, or guacamole.

4. Bake them into cookies and bread.

Take a look: