Pumpkin seeds: the benefits, harms and the rate of use per day

Pumpkin seeds are not only edible, but also a very healthy product. The seeds of many types of pumpkin are coated on top with a very dense and hard white shell. For food purposes, only mature and purified from amniotic residues seeds are used, which must be dried before use.

Pumpkin seeds and fiber: benefits and harms

Pumpkin seeds are flat, oval asymmetric, covered with a yellowish or whitish shell. A kernel of dark green color, having a pleasant taste with a slight nutty finish. Despite the fact that such seeds are inferior in popularity to sunflower seeds, their benefits are an order of magnitude higher, and the number of contraindications is much less, which due to the characteristics of the composition:

• Vitamin E prevents premature aging of the body;
• B vitamins are indispensable in the processes of cell metabolism;
• Vitamin A is a very powerful antioxidant, and also positively affects the organs of vision and the condition of the skin;

• Vitamin "K" is involved in the regulation of blood coagulability, and also helps to strengthen the vascular walls;
• fiber of seeds has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and also improves the state of microflora in the intestine;
• Vitamin "C" effectively fights colds and viral diseases, and also helps to strengthen immunity, so a mixture of crushed pumpkin seeds in combination with honey is recommended to be used as a powerful preventive measure.

In order not to harm the body, you need to know the contraindications, and also take into account how many seeds you need to eat per day.

If the norm of use is violated, then such negative consequences as weight gain, edema, increased acidity of gastric juice and constipation can be noted. With caution, you need to use pumpkin seeds during pregnancy and in the presence of allergies. The main contraindication is individual intolerance.

The benefits and harms of pumpkin seeds

How many and why pumpkin seeds need to be eaten per day

The composition of the seeds includes 39.7% phosphorus, 15.7% iron, 16.8% zinc, 73.5% manganese, 53.1% tryptophan, 47.7% magnesium, 21.5% copper and 19.5% protein. Calorie content of 100 g is 556 kcal. Pumpkin seeds are widely used in the treatment and prevention of many diseases:

• helminthic infestations;
• fragility and blockage of blood vessels;
• bleeding and bleeding disorders;
• decreased turgor and sagging skin;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• diseases of the genitourinary system and prostate gland;
• violations of the gastric and intestinal tract;
• depression and neurosis;
• arthritis and inflammatory processes in the joints.

Pumpkin seeds have anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and also pronounced anti-sclerotic properties. They are used as a well-lowering blood pressure, immunomodulating and antisclerotic agent. Anthelmintic characteristics are not inferior to many synthetic drugs used in the treatment of helminthic invasions.

One seed weighs about 0.5 g, but the mass can fluctuate, which is due to the type and variety of garden crops. Nutritional values ​​may vary by variety.as well as processing methods. In order to feel the positive effect of the intake, an adult is recommended to consume no more than fifty seeds within one day. Lactating women are advised to consume no more than one hundred pumpkin seeds per day.

How to collect pumpkin seeds

How to dry pumpkin seeds

After extracting the seeds from the pumpkin, they need to be dried properly. PFirst, you need to thoroughly wash the raw materials several times under running water, and then dry them in the open air or in the attic with good ventilation. For the use of nucleoli in cooking, drying is done at a temperature of 60 degrees.

It is also allowed to carry out roasting, but it must be remembered that during heat treatment above 45 ° C, approximately half of the biologically active components are lost. The main sign of readiness is the fragility of the shell. Ready nucleoli should be stored in special canvas bags.

To improve the assimilation of the nucleoli, it is recommended to grind together with the peel. If grains without a peel are crushed, then a significant part of useful substances is lost. Failure to comply with the rules for drying causes darkening of the raw material and the formation of mold. Substandard and spoiled products are not subject to consumption. Gripped raw materials can not be eaten in any case, since it contains very dangerous fungi that secrete a large amount of aflatoxins.

Pumpkin seeds with honey and other folk recipes

The most popular in our country is a folk recipe with honey. Refined medicinal raw materials can be crushed or used whole, filled with flower or buckwheat honey. For every half a kilogram of fresh pumpkin seeds, about 200-220 g of liquid honey should be accounted for. For a daily intake for an adult, three tablespoons are enough. For children, the dose should be reduced by half.

After squeezing the oil from the pumpkin kernels, the so-called meal remains, which is a valuable dietary product and is used in the preparation of fiber. Such a useful dietary supplement is widely used as a dietary product for diabetics, as well as in the treatment of diseases of internal organs or severe obesity.

Also, using pumpkin nucleoli, you can prepare the following medicines and prophylactic agents:

• to cleanse the body, a couple of tablespoons of crushed seeds and the same amount of kefir are thoroughly mixed with a blender and used for three weeks, two tablespoons on an empty stomach;
• to get rid of insomnia, you need to chop a teaspoon of peeled seeds and fifteen almonds kernels, then pour a glass of boiling water and insist for six to seven hours. Use infusion of 50 ml before bedtime;
• to prepare an anthelmintic, you need to clean and grind 100 g of seeds to a powdery state and take a couple of tablespoons on an empty stomach with a glass of warm milk for a week;
• Men are recommended to eat about thirty peeled grains daily, which will serve as an excellent preventive measure and will help prevent urological problems.

Pre-soaking followed by the addition of three parts of water and thoroughly grinding the nucleoli with a kitchen blender allows you to get a very tasty and healthy analogue of almond or sesame milk.

How to make pumpkin seed milk

In recent years, pumpkin seeds have been used not only for medicinal purposes, but along with sunflower kernels are very popular in the baking industry. Bakery products with the addition of nucleoli of these crops are considered incredibly useful, and their taste characteristics are several times greater than traditional bread made on the basis of ordinary wheat flour.