They are very nourishing and energizing. Pumpkin Seeds, being high in
zinc content, aids the healing process, and is useful in treating an
enlarged prostate gland.
Other nutrients include magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and thiamin.
They also contain pantothenic acid, unsaturated oils, and antioxidants.
The
medicinal use of Pumpkin Seeds was adopted by Oriental healers sometime
in the seventeenth century. When the first explorers arrived in
America, they noticed the Pumpkin plant in the cultivated maize fields
of the Indians. The native Indians utilized the plant for medicine as
well as for food. An emulsion made from a mixture of Pumpkin and
watermelon seeds served to heal wounds for members of the Yuma tribe.
The
Catawba tribe ate the fresh or dried seeds as a kidney medicine, while
the Menominee tribe drank a mixture of water, powdered squash, and
Pumpkin Seeds to ease the passage of urine. In settler folk medicine,
the ground stems of Pumpkin were brewed into a tea to treat "female
ills", and the ripe seeds were made into a palatable preparation to
dispel worms.
Modern folk healers advocate Pumpkin Seeds to rid
the body of intestinal worms, and they point out that the seed oil is
especially helpful for healing bums and wounds.
People of
Germany discovered that raw, hulled Pumpkin Seeds contain substances
that stimulate sex hormone production. The seeds contain large amounts
of zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B.
So, eating a handful of Pumpkin seeds a day may help prevent impotence.
Bulgarian mountain dwellers, Hungarian Gypsies, Anatolian Turks,
Ukrainians, and Transylvanians all eat Pumpkin Seeds as part of their
everyday diets.
Originally intended to prevent prostate ailments
(probably due to the high zinc content), Pumpkin Seeds have been found
by all of these cultures to prevent impotence as well.
The
Pumpkin is a symbol of prosperity and fruitfulness in China, even though
the first Pumpkins actually came from India. In both countries, a
popular snack is made by drying Pumpkin Seeds and dipping them in salt.
This snack has gained popularity in other parts of the world, including
the United States.
The seeds are notorious for improving vision. Ethiopians chew Pumpkin Seeds (which contain fiber) as a natural laxative. |
|
