It is that time of year again, where the leaves are changing and fall is approaching. If all the decorations at your local store weren’t enough of an indication it is pumpkin season, and there are so many delicious foods and recipes we can make from it.
On top of that it is Halloween, and what is Halloween without some pumpkin carving? Many of us just carve up our pumpkins and through all the guts in the trash, while we should be putting it to better use.
Pumpkin seeds are some of the healthiest, most nutritious seeds out there we can eat, so make sure to save them for roasting the next time you go pumpkin picking and carving. They can provide us with a ton of healthy benefits, and is a food that you should be eating throughout the year instead of just around the holidays. Here are some of the top reasons why you should be eating more pumpkin seeds.
1-Excellent Source of Magnesium
When most of us think of the nutrients we need for a healthy blood pressure reading, Magnesium isn’t one that immediately comes to mind. While keeping our Sodium levels low and consuming a good amount of Potassium is paramount to most people’s cardiovascular health, they neglect Magnesium.
People who have a deficiency in Magnesium are much more prone to things like hypertension and other negative things in regards to our blood pressure. By getting the proper amount of Magnesium we are able to reverse this hypertension, and improve the functioning of our cardiovascular system.
2-Improves Heart Health
As we now know, pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of Magnesium which is essential to a healthy cardiovascular system. Not only do pumpkin seeds contain this ingredient which improve our heart health, but it contains others such as Zinc and healthy omega 3 fatty acids which do so as well.
Pumpkin seeds not only provide us with healthy fats, but also help to reduce the occurrence of bad fats or LDL cholesterol levels.
Pumpkin seeds also contain certain enzymes involved with the metabolism and synthesis of nitric oxide, which itself is an essential aspect to how the blood flows in our body.
Nitric oxide is the chemical our body uses to signal the opening of our blood vessels. This is what allows our body to selectively send blood to particular areas of the body, without disrupting other systems. One example of this is how the blood vessels in the penis are stimulated through nitric oxide, which is needed to get an maintain erections.
3-Helps Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
Pumpkin seeds provide another benefit to people who eat it in that it can help maintain blood sugar levels and fight off diabetes. This is due to its high levels of fiber and Magnesium, both of which are associated with lower blood pressure.
Pumpkin seeds are especially beneficial for people already suffering from diabetes, in that it can greatly help reduce blood sugar levels. In some cases people who supplemented their diets with pumpkin seeds saw their blood sugar levels drop as much as 33%, making pumpkin seeds the food of choice for diabetics.
4-Pumpkin Seeds Are High in Fiber
Another benefit to eating pumpkin seeds is that they are very high in fiber, especially if you eat the shell as well. Pumpkin seeds are a food which you can eat whole as well, making them convenient foods to keep on the go.
Fiber is important in our diets because of its role in our digestive health. More fiber helps to slow down the digestive process in our bodies, which allows us to better absorb all the nutrients we get from our food.
Fiber also helps digestion in that it slows down the absorption of sugar in to the blood stream. This lets the body do so at a pace to where it has a constant supply of carbohydrates-as opposed to getting them all at once from a piece of candy, cake or other foods high in sugar but low in fiber.
This in turn helps to lower a person’s risk of developing diabetes as well, as pumpkin seeds slow the absorption of sugar in to the blood stream. This also helps to reduce the damage done to other organs and blood vessels themselves as a result of too much sugar in the bloodstream.
