It's my season! Of the Pumpkin! I loooove everything pumpkin. It's so flippin tasty--sweet or savory--and healthy to boot! You'll find me posting a lot of pumpkin recipes this season so let's start with an intro on why these lovely gaurds/melons are so beneficial for your body. This post focuses on a part of the pumpkin a lot of people discard, the seeds. Don't! They are chock full of minerals you don't get on a daily basis. Check it out...(read to the end for recipes =)
You might have heard of them called Pepitas (this is the mexican name because they are a hallmark of traditional mexican cuisine). They are used all over the world however and in a lot of Native American folk medicine which tells us they pack a lot of health power! You'll find them looking white (in their casing/shell), green (raw and hulled), or brownish (roasted)--all forms are healthy and delicious!
Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. They are also a good source of other minerals including zinc, iron, copper, protein and vitamin K. Okay, but what do those minerals do for your body?
Pumpkin Seed Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol
Phytosterols are compounds found in plants that have a chemical structure very similar to cholesterol, and when present in the diet in sufficient amounts, are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits in Arthritis
The healing properties of pumpkin seeds have also been recently investigated with respect to arthritis. In animal studies, the addition of pumpkin seeds to the diet has compared favorably with use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin in reducing inflammatory symptoms. Importantly, though, pumpkin seeds did not have one extremely unwanted effect of indomethacin: unlike the drug, pumpkin seeds do not increase the level of damaged fats (lipid peroxides) in the linings of the joints, a side-effect that actually contributes to the progression of arthritis.
Protection for Bones
Another reason to eat zinc-rich foods, such as pumpkin seeds, is bone mineral density. Although osteoporosis is often thought to be a disease for which postmenopausal women are at highest risk, it is also a potential problem for older men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a clear correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral, and osteoporosis at the hip and spine. So get your zinc via pumpkin seeds!
*zinc has also been linked to lowering the risk of prostate cancer in men*
Now, how do we eat these little mineral gems? I love them raw on oatmeal, in granola, over fruit, in salads, sprinkled on soups, sprinkled over fresh baked breads...but here are a few specific recipes:
Sweet 'n salty Roasted Pumpkin seeds
Cinnamon Pumpkin seed brittle
Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
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