The Only Reason To Celebrate Halloween: Pumpkin Seeds

Ghosts and ghouls just don't do it for me, but pumpkin seeds do. In fact, it's the only reason I look forward to Halloween. In my opinion, this celebration is a very poor example to children, even if it is only for one evening. Imagine going from house to house dressed as a blood sucking vampire whose only goal is to obtain toxic candy. Then we wonder why our children don't seek worthy role models. So let's change the tune. How about we promote decent nutrition on Halloween and distribute a responsible snack to all the little gremlins, sending them on their way with health rather than sugar. The smallest part of a pumpkin is a power packed nutrition house of goodness. If you're carving pumpkins and throwing out the seeds, you really are missing the best part.


Did You Know? History and Interesting Trivia

• Pumpkin seeds were discovered by archaeologists in caves in Mexico that date back to 7,000 B.C.
• North American tribes were the very first to observe the particular miracle in pumpkin seeds. Pumpkins and their seeds were an important Native American Indian food used for their dietary and medicinal properties.
• Pumpkin seeds are called pepitas in Mexico and they are a trademark of Mexican cuisine. Pumpkin seeds were very popular in ancient Greece.
• The nutrition in pumpkin seeds improves with age; they are among the few foods that increase in nutritive value as they decompose. According to tests made at the Massachusetts Experimental Station, squash and pumpkin seeds stored for more than five months show a marked increase in protein content.
• Pumpkin seeds are high in calories, about 559 calories per 100 g.

Pumpkin seeds reduce the chance of prostrate cancer. The seeds can reduce the progression of benign prostatic hypertrophy (this can lead to cancer) and ease prostrate cancer.

Pumpkin seeds have the ability to protect you from osteoporosis and arthritis. This seed is rich in zinc, whereas osteoporosis is the outcome of low zinc levels.

Most of us know that berries are a good source for anti-oxidants, and now you can add pumpkin seeds to the list too. Stop inflammation with pumpkin seeds.

For vegetarians, add pumpkin seeds to your list of foods rich in protein. 100 grams of seeds on a daily basis provide 54 percent of the daily requirement in terms of protein.

Most of us pop pills to replenish deficiency of vitamin B-complex, try pumpkin seeds next time. Pumpkin seeds are a good source for vitamin B like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 and folates.

For those who are down in the dumps, pumpkin seeds can help fight through depression. The chemical component L-tryptophan is the secret ingredient to boost your mood.

Did you know that pumpkin seeds can prevent kidney stones? Studies suggest that pumpkin seeds can help prevent certain kidney stone formations like calcium oxalate kidney stone.

Apparently pumpkin seeds also hold the secret to fighting parasites, especially tapeworms.

Pumpkin seeds can also be a good foundation for a beauty treatment. It keeps your skin healthy, glowing and vibrant.

Mae Chan holds degrees in both physiology and nutritional sciences. She is also blogger and and technology enthusiast with a passion for disseminating information about health.
Source: preventdisease

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