Written by Valerie Popelka
Goto Dayu to know more.
It&#;s no surprise that we love seeds&#;particularly sprouted seeds! While we have a reverence for all types of seeds, admittedly, sprouted pumpkin seeds are one of our favorites. Small, but mighty, sprouted pumpkin seeds pack a nutritional punch and are deliciously crunchy. We've summed up their many benefits with these top 10 reasons why you should love them too!
Pumpkin seeds are a nutritional powerhouse and the process of sprouting helps unlock those nutrients so your body can better absorb them. Seeds contain many nutrients needed to germinate and grow into plants, including phosphorus which is stored as phytic acid. However, phytic acid has been shown to inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese1. Soaking and sprouting seeds mimics the germination process, which breaks down Phytic acid and increases the bioavailability of the seeds&#; beneficial nutrients.
A ¼ cup of sprouted pumpkin seeds contains 8g of plant-based protein. Protein is an important macronutrient that is used by your body to build and repair tissues and is also an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood2.
When choosing protein sources, it&#;s important to consider the complete &#;package,&#; meaning the other micro and macronutrients they provide since these also have an impact on your overall health3. A ¼ cup of sprouted pumpkin seeds is an excellent source of zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese and also a good source of iron. This makes sprouted pumpkin seeds a quality &#;package&#; full of nutrition..
Magnesium, copper, zinc, and manganese have been shown to contribute to bone health. In particular, studies suggest that magnesium can help increase bone density, but more than half of the US population consumes less than the recommended daily allowance, which is 320-420mg for an adult4. A ¼ cup of sprouted pumpkin seeds provides 137mg of magnesium, which is at least 35% of your daily allowance.
Magnesium has been shown to help your body and brain relax by regulating neurotransmitters5. In addition, magnesium appears to play a role in our circadian rhythms, influencing our sleep-wake cycles6, and studies suggest that not getting enough magnesium may cause difficulty sleeping or even insomnia7. In addition, zinc may help regulate and improve the quality of sleep you get. Sprouted pumpkin seeds are rich in both these micronutrients, so eat up!
Not getting enough zinc may lead to a weakened immune system since it needs zinc to properly function and grow immune cells9. A serving of sprouted pumpkin seeds delivers 2mg of zinc, making them one of the richest plant-based sources of zinc10.
Zinc, copper, magnesium, and iron are important for brain health, and sprouted pumpkin seeds are loaded with these essential nutrients. Zinc and copper are crucial for nerve signaling, magnesium plays a role in learning and memory, and having an iron deficiency can negatively impacts various functions of your brain11.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of vegetable seeds. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
There are so many wonderful ways to add sprouted pumpkin seeds to your diet. As perfect as they are by themselves, they can easily be added to any sweet or savory dish. Some of our favorite uses are on a soup, on a salad, in a pesto, ground into seed butter, and these chocolate pumpkin seed butter cups . Yum!
While about 1% of the US population is allergic to tree nuts10, an allergy to pumpkin seeds is very rare and most people who are allergic to nuts can still eat seeds13. In addition, Go Raw&#;s products are all nut-free, so there is never the potential for cross-contamination.
Last, but not least, sprouted pumpkin seeds are delicious! Their nutty flavor and light, crunchy texture, make them irresistibly tasty. Perfect as a snack, incorporated into meals, school lunch boxes, and great as a post workout pick-me-up. We couldn&#;t imagine our lives without them. :-)
Pumpkin seeds are edible seeds from pumpkins and other varieties of gourd squash. The seeds are cream colored, flat, and oval with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. They are roasted, salted, and eaten as a snack in many parts of the world.
You can scoop seeds out of a carving pumpkin and roast them yourself or buy roasted pumpkin seeds from a grocery or health food store. You may see them labeled "pepitas." Pumpkin seeds and pepitas are basically the same thing except that pepitas have their cream-colored shells (hulls) removed and they come from specific varieties of pumpkin.
Pepitas are seeds from specific varieties of pumpkin with the hulls removed. They're a nutritious snack rich in unsaturated fats and minerals. (Photo Credit: Moment/Getty Images)
Pumpkins are native to Central and South America, and have been used by Native Americans for centuries as food, as well as medicine. Pumpkin seeds are filled with nutrients, such as unsaturated fats like omega-3s and minerals like magnesium.
Because they are so nutritious, pumpkin seeds have a long history of use dating back to the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico over 7,500 years ago. Across many cultures, they&#;ve been used as a folk remedy to treat: