Pumpkin Seeds - Wonderful Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds – Wonderful Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds – Wonderful Benefits Of Pumpkin Seeds

I recently have been given a heap of pumpkins from a friends garden. Last night I decided to make pumpkin soup. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin soup so I was looking for a new tasty recipe. At the bottom of one recipe was a note on how to roast pumpkin seeds. I was stunned as I have never thought of using the seeds. How often do we use pumpkins but throw out the seeds and never give them another thought. I know I do!

Pumpkin seeds are now a common seed we can buy in packets. These seeds can be found in cereal, some breads and health foods. I had a quick look online at roasted pumpkin seeds and the average price is around a packet. But did you realize they are really easy to prepare at home?

The simplest and healthiest way to have pumpkin seeds is to allow them to dry naturally while still raw. The method that I used was baking. I boiled the seeds in salted water on a medium temperature for around 10 minutes until they had sunk to the bottom. Then remove the now slimy seeds from the water and spread into one layer on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the seeds, although this is optional. Bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes on 200C or 400F. The seeds will turn a light golden brown. This method makes a wonderful seed which tastes like a nutty popcorn.

]]>

The seeds of pumpkins, also called pepitas, are very healthy. They are a great source of B vitamins, along with C, D, E, and K, proteins/amino acids, fibre and omega3 fatty acids (the good fats). They also have the minerals calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorous. Just one serving (about 1/4 cup) gives almost half the recommended daily amounts of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, vitamin K, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds are especially beneficial for men (due to their zinc content) as they can assist with helping to provide some protection against the development of prostate cancer and any issues with prostate health. They can also be used for bladder problems, depression and learning disabilities. It also contains substances which are anti-inflammatory which is great for any inflammatory disease such as arthritis for example.

My mother was telling me last night that her mother used raw dried pumpkin seeds as a parasitic worm treatment. Another way to treat worms with these seeds is to liquefy three tablespoons of pumpkin seeds which have been soaked three hours, one-half of a small onion, one-half cup soy milk, and one teaspoon honey. This remedy can be used three times daily, three days in a row.

So – maybe next time your preparing your pumpkin for dinner you will pay the seeds a little bit more respect. You can now turn something you used to throw out into a healthy and cheap snack.

Article from articlesbase.com

seeds