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Does pumpkin lower testosterone?

Libido. Pumpkin seeds contain leucine, and also minerals which help you make testosterone. This is great because it improves energy, endurance, libido and strength.

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Suzy Cohen

Columnist

Pumpkins can be white, yellow or green. They’re not all orange! Did you know Antartica is the only country that can’t grow a pumpkin?

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One average sized pumpkin can impart about a cup of seeds, about 500 seeds. I like to roast mine and sprinkle them with a little dried lime powder and sea salt. These are also excellent when roasted with olive oil and garlic/onion powder. These seeds are not only delicious but also nutrient dense. Here are the health benefits from eating pumpkin seeds.

Diabetes

Thanks to their high fiber content, pumpkin seeds help regulate blood sugar and improve satiety. One study showed that animals who received a combination of ground flax and pumpkin seed powder exhibited better lab values and fewer problems as they pertain to diabetes. Thanks to their alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content, the seeds can help with heart attack risk. Other foods with ALA content include flaxseed, walnuts, chia and hemp.

Blood pressure

Magnesium (and potassium) is absolutely essential for healthy blood pressure and cardiac rhythm. Pumpkin seeds are particularly high in magnesium.

Immunity and prostate health

Zinc will help with both immunity and prostate health. An ounce of pumpkin seeds contain enough zinc to help you with immune function, prostate health and even testosterone production.

Sleep

A handful of pumpkin seeds at dinnertime might improve your ability to relax and sleep. The reason is because of the magnesium which helps create more serotonin, which quickly breaks down to melatonin, a sleep hormone.

Bladder infections

Pumpkin seeds contain zinc and other compounds that support bladder and kidney health. There isn’t enough data to say whether it helps UTIs but I would guess that it probably helps reduce incidence.

Libido

Pumpkin seeds contain leucine, and also minerals which help you make testosterone. This is great because it improves energy, endurance, libido and strength. Testosterone is needed for both men and women’s health.

Bone health

Zinc, magnesium and selenium deficiencies are harmful to bones. Without these minerals your risk for osteoporosis goes up. Eating pumpkin seeds can help you if you have osteoporosis.

Vision

Pumpkin seeds are very high in carotenoids and zinc which protect your vision. Pumpkin seeds contain squalene which protects your skin from UV light damage and other forms of potentially dangerous radiation. Like any food, there is the risk for allergy. If you’re sensitive to pumpkin seeds you might experience stomach pain after eating them, swelling or itching of the throat or skin rashes, hives or eczema-like irritations. You can buy pumpkin seeds at any health food store or supermarket. Store bought pumpkin seeds can be stored in a container for about three or four months. Pumpkin seed oil is great for salads and soups and it is usually sold online or at health food stores.

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Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist. The information presented here is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any condition. Visit SuzyCohen.com.

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Is it OK to eat raw pumpkin seeds?

Pumpkin seeds can be eaten raw, roasted, or sprouted. With any of these options, you'll want to decide if you're going to eat the pumpkin seeds with the shell or without. Pumpkin seeds in the shell have more fiber than unshelled, but the shells are chewy and may take some extra time to break down.

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Eating pumpkin seeds may improve sleep thanks to an essential amino acid called tryptophan5 . Pumpkin seeds contain a high level of tryptophan, which is necessary for our body to prepare for sleep. Tryptophan is also in turkey, which could explain the food coma after Thanksgiving dinner. The body turns tryptophan into a B vitamin called niacin, which helps the body create serotonin. This is important because serotonin is a chemical that plays a critical role in sleep and regulating our melatonin levels. So, incorporating more tryptophan into our diet via pumpkin seeds may improve our sleep quality. Wondering how much you need to eat for quality zzz's? A study found that consuming 1 gram of tryptophan6 may be enough to improve sleep quality. This is beyond what you could reasonably eat in one sitting (it means you'd need to eat about 200 grams of pumpkin seeds, or almost 1 cup of seeds)! You could consider incorporating small amounts of pumpkins seeds into your meals throughout the day and see how far you get. If you can't quite reach a cup, you can feel good knowing that pumpkin seeds are also high magnesium, which is also known to help improve sleep quality.

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