No one can deny the power of plant nutrition. Vegetables like pumpkins are drenched in good nutrition, offering lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, and fiber.
Pumpkins are indigenous to South America, though most are grown in the United States today. They’re a popular ingredient worldwide in appetizers, main courses, side dishes, soups, salads, and desserts (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
They also have recreational uses such as carving, art projects, and smashing. When using pumpkins for these purposes, people often toss out the pumpkin seeds.
However, pumpkin seeds should not be overlooked. They’re loaded with good-for-you nutrients such as protein, tocopherols, phytoestrogens, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
In fact, pumpkin seed oil has been studied for its use as an alternative treatment for diseases and conditions such as alopecia, cancer, and infertility (2Trusted Source).
This article reviews pumpkin seed powder, its nutrition, and its health benefits, plus how you can easily add it into your life to boost your health.
What is pumpkin seed powder?
Pumpkin seedscome from — you guessed it — pumpkins. They’re usually cultivated from the Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima species (4Trusted Source).
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The colorful, colossal gourds are members of the Cucurbitaceae family and are siblings to zucchini, watermelon, squash, and cucumber (5Trusted Source).
Grinding raw or roasted pumpkin seeds creates pumpkin seed powder.
Pumpkin seed powder made from roasted pumpkin seeds may have greater health benefits because heat exposure increases its antioxidants. Raw pumpkin seeds may not have the same flavor, aroma, or ease of digestion as roasted pumpkin seeds (6Trusted Source).
Pumpkin seed powder is an excellent plant protein source, especially for those who avoid animal proteins or have allergies to dairy proteins such as whey and casein.
Pumpkin protein powder vs. pumpkin seed powder
Pumpkin seed powder is made of 100% blended or ground pumpkin seeds.
You can find a pumpkin protein powder that’s made up of 100% blended or ground pumpkin seeds as well. The difference is that some pumpkin seed protein powders use pumpkin seeds with blends of other plant protein sources such as quinoa or flaxseed.
To know if you’re getting pure pumpkin seed powder or a pumpkin protein powder, always look at the ingredients list. Pure pumpkin seed powder should have just one ingredient: pumpkin seeds.
Be careful not to confuse pumpkin-flavored protein powder for pumpkin seed powder, because they’re entirely different products. Pumpkin-flavored protein powder might come from various protein sources, such as whey or casein, with pumpkin flavoring added.
SUMMARY Pumpkin seed powder comes from grinding or blending roasted or raw pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seed powder and pumpkin seed protein are the same products if the only listed ingredient is pumpkin seeds. Some pumpkin seed protein products are blended with other plant foods such as flaxseed or quinoa.
Pumpkin seed powder nutrition
One ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seed powder contains (7Trusted Source):
- Calories: 80
- Protein: 18 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 1 gram
- Sugar: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Calcium: 33 milligrams (2% of the Daily Value)
- Iron: 6 milligrams (35% of the DV)
- Potassium: 462 milligrams (10% of the DV)
- Zinc: 7 milligrams (45% of the DV)
- Magnesium: 319 milligrams (80% of the DV)
As you can see, pumpkin seed powder is packed with protein and is a good source of fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
SUMMARY Pumpkin seed powder boasts an impressive nutrition profile with high amounts of protein, fiber, and minerals. It’s also free of fat and cholesterol.
Health benefits of pumpkin seed powder
A source of high quality plant protein
You can get 18 grams of plant-based protein from 1 ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seed powder.
Protein is made up of amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot make on its own. Because of this, it’s crucial to eat high quality protein foods that contain essential amino acids. Pumpkin seeds contain all nine (8Trusted Source).
The seeds are chock-full of lysine, leucine, and arginine — essential amino acids effective for muscle building (9, 10Trusted Source).
Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid, or BCAA, a type of essential amino acid known for playing major roles in gut and immune health (11Trusted Source).
And the plant protein benefits don’t stop there.
A 2015 review found nutritional differences between eating plant-based protein and animal-based protein. Eating plant-based proteins led to a greater intake of good nutrition from polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E (12Trusted Source).
Though animal-based protein provided a few beneficial nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, eating animal protein was still associated with greater intakes of saturated fatty acids. These nutrients may pose a risk to heart health (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Pumpkin seed powder is a great source of high quality plant-based protein to support your health.
May aid in getting better sleep
Sleep disorders are common, and there’s some evidence that sleep disorders may be linked to iron deficiency.
A 2018 review analyzed 93 articles and found that 35 of them noted a positive association between iron deficiency and sleep issues. Thirty-six studies, including five randomized control trials, found that iron supplementation was beneficial for supporting better sleep (14Trusted Source).
An ounce of pumpkin seed powder offers 35% of your DV for iron. Eating iron-rich foods may help maintain healthy iron levels and ward off deficiency.
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Vitamin C is known for helping increase iron absorption in the body when the two nutrients are ingested together. To improve your absorption of iron from pumpkin seed powder, it can be helpful to mix the powder with a vitamin C-rich food such as applesauce or a citrus smoothie (15Trusted Source).
Also, pumpkin seed powder provides 80% of the DV of magnesium in just 1 ounce. Magnesium has been studied for its role in helping ease insomnia, though more thorough research still needs to be done (16Trusted Source).
Packed with antioxidants that may help prevent disease
Pumpkin seed powder boasts disease-fighting and immune-enhancing potential, thanks to its wealth of bioactive compounds and antioxidants.
Phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and tocopherols (vitamin E) are natural antioxidants and bioactive components found in pumpkin seeds (6Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
Antioxidants play prominent roles in helping your body function at its best. Natural processes in your body that occur daily produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals (19Trusted Source).
Antioxidants help to defend your body by maintaining healthy ROS levels. An imbalance of antioxidants and ROS leads to oxidative stress, which raises your risk of inflammation, tissue damage, and disease (19Trusted Source).
A 2020 animal study found that oral pumpkin seed oil reduced oxidative stress in 20 rats with liver damage when given for 28 days, compared with the control group (18Trusted Source).
Another study found that pumpkin seed oil limited the growth of prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer cells — and the bioactive compounds found in pumpkin seed oil may be the reason behind this (20Trusted Source).
However, both of these studies involved oils, not powder, so we need more research to understand whether pumpkin powder offers the same benefits to humans.
What’s more, zinc — a crucial nutrient for immune health — also functions as an antioxidant. You can eat pumpkin seed powder as a reliable source of zinc, because it has 45% of your DV of zinc per ounce (21Trusted Source).
May promote heart health
One ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seed powder provides 4 grams of dietary fiber — an important nutrient for heart health.
A 2017 randomized control study looked at the effect of 3 grams of oat fiber on cholesterol in 40 adults, comparing them to 40 adults in the control group (22Trusted Source).
After 28 days, the control group saw a 3.1% decrease in total cholesterol and a 4.1% reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol. The experimental group had an 8.1% decrease in total cholesterol and an 11.4% decrease in LDL cholesterol (22Trusted Source).
Lowering high LDL cholesterol levels reduces the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States today (23Trusted Source).
In addition, pumpkin seed powder offers 10% of your DV of potassium in 1 ounce (28 grams).
Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral known for lowering blood pressure, as seen in many studies. That’s because potassium helps rid your body of excess sodium through urination. If high blood pressure gets out of hand, it can result in heart problems, kidney issues, or stroke (24Trusted Source).
Lastly, pumpkin seed powder may benefit heart health, thanks to linoleic acid — an unsaturated fatty acid it contains.
A 2016 review of randomized control studies supports the idea that cholesterol can be strongly reduced when saturated fats in the diet are replaced with linoleic acid fats from vegetable oils (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
However, it’s unclear whether lowering cholesterol by replacing saturated fats with linoleic acid fats reduces the risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease, so it’s possible the benefits are overestimated. More research is needed (26Trusted Source).
May help counter hair loss
Pumpkin seed powder may influence hair growth.
A 2014 randomized study evaluated the effects of pumpkin seed oil versus a placebo on hair growth in 76 adult men with alopecia, a disease of hair loss (27Trusted Source).
After 24 weeks of treatment with 400 milligrams of encapsulated pumpkin seed oil or placebo each day, there was a 40% average increase in hairs in the pumpkin seed oil group compared with a 10% increase in the placebo group (27Trusted Source).
In one study, rats whose back hair was removed were randomized into five groups. Groups were treated with either a testosterone solution, a testosterone solution with 5% pumpkin seed oil, a testosterone solution and 10% pumpkin seed oil, testosterone and a hair loss drug, or nothing at all (28Trusted Source).
The testosterone was used to slow natural hair regrowth, and the other treatments, such as pumpkin seed oil, were tested to see which one most strongly countered the testosterone’s effects.
After 3 weeks of topical application of the various solutions on the rats’ shaved backs, the group that received 10% pumpkin seed oil saw 60–79% growth in hair compared with 20–39% growth in the testosterone-only group.
These statistically significant results tell us that pumpkin seed oil may counter the effects of testosterone on slowed hair growth (28Trusted Source).
However, we don’t know for sure whether the results would hold true in humans. Plus, these studies both tested pumpkin seed oil, not powder, so more research is needed.
May support male reproductive health
Pumpkin seed oil may benefit reproductive health in people assigned male at birth.
A recent animal study tested the effects of pumpkin seed oil, vitamin E oil, and sunflower oil on the reproductive health of male roosters. Thirty roosters were assigned to 6 groups for 60 days of testing (29Trusted Source).
The roosters fed pumpkin seed oil and the vitamin E oil mixture had greater sperm concentration, sperm movement, and living sperm. They had less damaged sperm than the control group …as well as the groups fed with either pumpkin seed oil or sunflower seed oil only. (29Trusted Source).
Furthermore, a 2016 study tested the effects of pumpkin seed extract and ginger extract on the reproductive function of rats. Sixty rats were split into 6 groups of 10, and 3 of those groups were exposed to a cancer drug known to damage sperm (30Trusted Source).
The results showed that, compared with the control, groups fed a mix of pumpkin seed extracts and ginger extracts (300–600 mg per kg of body weight) saw significant increases in sperm count, sperm movement, and sperm quality (30Trusted Source).
Still, we need more research in humans before we can be sure whether and how pumpkin seed oil affects reproductive health — and whether pumpkin seed powder would have the same effects.
Works with many special diets
Pumpkin seed powder is naturally low carb, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, and dairy-free.
It doesn’t contain any of the top eight allergens — eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, or milk (31Trusted Source).
Therefore, pumpkin seed powder fits most diets.
While pumpkin seed powder may work well for most people, you should avoid it if you have a pumpkin allergy or sensitivity. You may consider trying another source of plant protein powder, such as pea protein.
SUMMARY Pumpkin seed powder has a myriad of health benefits because of its high quality plant-powered protein, sleep-aiding iron, and disease-fighting antioxidants. You can’t forget about its heart-healthy fiber, positive influence on hair growth, potential reproductive health benefits, and ability to fit practically any diet.
How to use pumpkin seed powder
By now, you might feel that pumpkin seed powder is a must-have in your kitchen. I agree with you!
Pumpkin seed powder is easy to add to a wide variety of foods.
If you’re a baker, you can enhance homemade baked goods such as muffins, pancakes, and cakes with the addition of pumpkin seed powder.
Pumpkin seed powder also mixes well with salad dressings, shakes, smoothies, soups, stews, yogurt, juice, milk, and hot cereal.
Roasting pumpkin seeds at high temperatures can alter their nutritional quality. It helps to roast pumpkin seeds at 320oF (160oC) for 10 minutes (6Trusted Source).
After roasting, grind pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder or dry spice blender until you get flour- or powder-like consistency.
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If you’re removing pumpkin seeds straight from a raw pumpkin, be sure to wash them before roasting.
The bottom line
Just one thing
Try this today: One thing I’m excited about trying is pumpkin seed powder in my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. Maybe you have a special food in mind that you’re ready to add pumpkin seed powder to as well! Take a small step to improving your health today with pumpkin seed powder.
Pumpkin: Nutrition, Benefits and How to Eat
Pumpkin is a favorite autumn ingredient, but you may wonder whether it’s healthy.
Indeed, pumpkin is very nutritious and low in calories. Plus, it’s more versatile than you may think. It can be cooked into savory and sweet dishes alike.
This article reviews the nutritional properties of pumpkin and its various uses and benefits.
What is pumpkin?
Pumpkin is a type of winter squash that’s in the same plant family as cucumbers and melons. It’s technically a fruit since it contains seeds. Yet, in terms of nutrition, it’s more like a vegetable.
Pumpkins are usually round and orange, although the size, shape, and color can vary depending on the variety. They have a thick outer rind that’s smooth and ribbed, as well as a stem that connects the pumpkin to its leafy plant.
Inside they’re hollow, except for ivory-colored seeds coated with stringy flesh.
These squash are native to North America and play a big role in two holidays. They are carved into jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween and cooked into pies for Thanksgiving dessert in the United States and Canada.
However, they’re also grown around the world on every continent except Antarctica.
Their seeds, leaves, and flesh are all edible.
Pumpkin varieties
There are many varieties of pumpkins, including:
- Jack-o’-lantern: a large variety that’s used for carving
- Pie pumpkins: a smaller, sweeter variety
- Miniature: used for decoration but also edible
- White: used for decoration but can be cooked
- Giant: mostly grown for contests; technically edible but less flavorful than smaller pumpkins
Most of the pumpkin that’s sold in the United States is canned.
Interestingly, the variety of pumpkin that’s most typically canned looks more similar to a butternut squash than a jack-o’-lantern.
The distinction between pumpkin and other types of squash can be a bit fuzzy, as there are many different but closely related varieties.
SUMMARY Pumpkin comes in many varieties, although the most common varieties are the large ones used for carving jack-o’-lanterns and smaller, sweeter pie pumpkins.
Pumpkin nutrition
Pumpkin is an incredibly nutritious food. It’s nutrient dense, meaning it has lots of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories.
One cup (245 grams) of canned pumpkin provides (1Trusted Source):
- Calories: 137
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 7 grams
- Carbs: 19 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Vitamin A: 209% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin K: 37% of the DV
- Copper: 28% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 22% of the DV
- Iron: 18% of the DV
- Magnesium: 13% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 10% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 10% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 10% of the DV
- Potassium: 10% of the DV
It also contains smaller amounts of several other nutrients.
The vitamin A contained in pumpkin is actually in the form of vitamin A precursors beta carotene and alpha carotene. Your body can turn these powerful antioxidants into vitamin A after you consume them (2Trusted Source).
Pumpkin seed nutrition
Pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, are also commonly eaten as a snack. Here’s the nutrient breakdown of 1 ounce (15 grams) of pumpkin seeds in their shell (3Trusted Source):
- Calories: 86
- Protein: 4 grams
- Fat: 7 grams
- Carbs: 2 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Copper: 21% of the DV
- Magnesium: 20% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 14% of the DV
- Zinc: 10% of the DV
Pumpkin seeds are low in carbs but high in fat, making them an ideal snack for people who follow low carb or plant-based diets.
SUMMARY Pumpkins are loaded with a variety of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Major health benefits
Most of a pumpkin’s health benefits come from its vitamins and minerals, along with its low sugar and high fiber content.
While there aren’t many studies on pumpkin specifically, it’s high in several nutrients that have established health benefits.
Immunity
Pumpkin gives you a hefty dose of beta carotene, which is partially converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A can help your body fight infections (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Some research shows that vitamin A is particularly important for strengthening the intestinal lining, making it more resistant to infections (7Trusted Source).
Vitamin C also plays a key role in immune health by strengthening the immune cells that respond when a pathogen is identified (8Trusted Source).
Eye health
There are a couple of ways in which pumpkin is good for your eyes.
First, it’s rich in beta carotene, which helps keep your vision sharp by helping the retina absorb light (9Trusted Source).
Second, the combination of other vitamins and minerals in pumpkin may protect against age-related macular degeneration.
One study found that people with age-related macular degeneration could slow its progression by taking supplements containing zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, or a combination of these (10Trusted Source).
While that study used a supplement, you can find all of these nutrients in pumpkin, although in smaller amounts.
Skin health
The antioxidants found in pumpkin are important for skin health. These include beta carotene and vitamins C and E.
Beta carotene, in particular, may protect your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Eating foods with beta carotene may also help improve the appearance and texture of your skin. (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Vitamins C and E also have antioxidant properties. They’re often used as an ingredient in skin care products, but they may even help boost skin health when eaten. However, more research in humans is needed (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).
Heart health
Eating fruits and vegetables supports heart health. What’s more, pumpkin contains specific nutrients that are good for heart health.
Particularly, potassium may help reduce high blood pressure levels (16Trusted Source).
In addition, fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels by binding with the cholesterol in the foods you eat and preventing its absorption (17Trusted Source).
Metabolic health
Eating foods rich in beta carotene, such as pumpkin, may help improve your metabolic health — that is, how well your blood sugar is managed and the distribution of fat on your body (18Trusted Source).
Pumpkin is also rich in fiber, which can help dull blood sugar spikes after you consume carb-containing foods (19Trusted Source).
However, your overall dietary pattern is much more important for your health than simply occasionally eating pumpkin.
SUMMARY Most of the health benefits of pumpkin relate to its content of fiber and micronutrients, including beta carotene and vitamin A.
Ways to eat pumpkin
Pumpkin is popular in pancakes, pies, custards, and muffins, but it also works well in savory dishes.
You can cook it into a soup or roast it with other vegetables. Canned pumpkin can be combined with coconut milk and spices to make a creamy curry base.
You can also eat other parts of the pumpkin plant. Its seeds are roasted for a crunchy snack or salad topping, while its flowers are often battered and fried.
But don’t bother cooking that jack-o’-lantern. The large pumpkins used for carving have a stringy texture and are less flavorful than pie pumpkins. Plus, for food safety reasons, you don’t want to eat something that has been cut open and sitting around.
SUMMARY There are many ways to enjoy pumpkin. For the healthiest versions, try using it in savory dishes like soup or as a roasted vegetable.
Pumpkin-flavored processed foods
Just because something has pumpkin in its name doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
Drinking pumpkin spice lattes, for example, doesn’t offer any of the health benefits of eating an actual pumpkin. What’s more, many pumpkin-spice-flavored sweet treats don’t even have any pumpkin in them — only pumpkin pie spice.
And while pumpkin baked goods like pie and quick bread may offer some extra vitamins, minerals, and fiber from their pumpkin content, they also contain lots of sugar and refined carbs.
SUMMARY Pumpkin is generally a healthy food with no negative consequences if eaten in moderation, but for optimal health, you should limit highly processed, sugar-laden pumpkin foods to occasional treats.
The bottom line
Pumpkin is an incredibly healthy vegetable that’s rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It’s extremely versatile and can be used in desserts or savory dishes. The seeds, which are an excellent source of plant-based fat, also make a healthy snack or salad topping.
However, to get the most benefits from pumpkin, you should eat it as a vegetable — not a dessert.
NOTE – This article was originally published in healthline and can be viewed here
