“Golden Oil Seed”
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Pumpkin seed: Is pumpkin fruit that has edible seed we call it pumpkin seed that belongs to the cucurbitaceae family. It’s an annual plant. The scientific name is derived from two languages which are Cucurbita Latin word for “gourd” or “squash” This is indicating the plant’s classification within the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. and “Pepo” this comes from Greek word “pepon” meaning “ripe” or “melon” it used to describe a type of large, fleshy fruit, their colors of seed and flowers are various in their types.
Types of Pumpkin Seed
There are 200 varieties of pumpkin seed, The most known are:
Abominable
A medium sized white specialty pumpkin with a contrasting dark green stem and nice round to flattened, round in shape,this hybrid is well adapted. Its maturity time is 110 days.
Autumn pearl
Autumn pearl makes its introduction into the pie pumpkin class with an all around eye catching appearance. It features a sturdy handle, distinct ribbing, its color is dark orange and mature in 95 days.
Sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin)
It’s term used to describe theair sweet flavor and firm, small in size,smooth and dense flesh, which makes them ideal for making pumpkin pies, mature in 85-100 days.
Cinderella pumpkin
These are a type of winter squash with a mild, large sized, sweet flavor and moist texture that makes them great for many purposes like for soup, sauces, pures and curries, it mature 100-110 days.
Blue Hubbard
It’s the old variety of pumpkin type, Blue in color, large size, teardrop shaped used for culinary purposes, especially for pies and purees, matured 100-110 days.
Kabocha (Japanese ) pumpkin
Medium sized, Dark green with light green stripes, a sweet, nutty flavor, it takes to mature 85-100.
Midnight Pumpkin
It’s dark in color, medium sized,Round to slightly flattened with deep ribs shaped, mature in 90 to 100 days.
The maturation period indicates the time from seed germination to when the squash is fully grown and ready for harvest for all types of pumpkins.
5 Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
There are so many health benefits, but we are talking about some of the main benefits.
Rich in magnesium
This magnesium mineral plays essential role in more than 300 reactions in your body, some this including
- Managing blood sugar
- Keeping your heartbeat steady
- Maintaining nerve and muscle function
- Producing energy
- Strengthening bones
- Supporting a healthy immune system
May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
Pumpkin seeds have phytoestrogens compounds, these compounds are similar to the hormone estrogen, estrogen has its own role. Some evidence suggests that consuming foods that contain phytoestrogens helps to reduce breast cancer risk.
Improving Sleep
Eating pumpkin seed before bed may help you get a better night’s rest, Zinc mineral is found in seeds and helps to convert tryptophan. This tryptophan is an amino acid which converts serotonin to melatonin, which is the sleep hormones. Seeds are a natural source of tryptophan, this amino acid used for promoting sleep.
Antioxidant properties
These seeds contain antioxidants like carotenoids, vitamin A and E. which help reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Improve sperm count
The main reason pumpkin seeds are used to support sperm count is their high zinc content. Zinc plays a crucial role in male reproductive health, particularly in sperm production and testosterone regulation. Adequate levels of zinc are essential for maintaining a healthy sperm count, improving sperm motility, and enhancing overall sperm quality.
Now we are looking at its nutritional amounts of pumpkin seed.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 1-oz serving of unsalted pumpkin seeds.
Table 1: Nutrition Information
Nutrient | Amount |
Energy | 163 kcal |
Carbohydrates | 4.2 g |
Protein | 8.5 g |
Fat | 13.9 g |
Table 2: Mineral Content
Mineral | Amount |
Calcium | 15 mg |
Iron | 2.3 mg |
Magnesium | 156 mg |
Zinc | 2.2 mg |
Copper | 0.4 mg |
Selenium | 2.7 mcg |
Phosphorus | 332 mg |
Manganese | 1.3 mg |
In conclusion
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of protein, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that may reduce your risk of getting chronic diseases, such as cancer. The one thing that makes it differ from other fruit plants is its high zinc content, zinc mineral plays a crucial role in the whole body parts, because of this we should have to use it.
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