For most of us, pumpkin means pies and Jack o’lanterns, and perhaps even pumpkin cookies or breads. But, is there more health benefits to pumpkin that just beta kerotene, antioxidants and Vitamin C? According to recent medical studies, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Early research seems to indicate that one particular type of pumpkin seed oil has some pretty amazing health benefits, so much in fact, that it has recently emerged as one of the top three nutritional oils.
It’s not the traditional American Jack o’Lantern that produces this power packed seed oil, but a little known variety called the “Styrian pumpkin.” The Styrian pumpkin was developed in the Styrian areas of present day south east Austria, back in the 17th century. This odd looking fruit looks like the ornamental gourds we Americans use for tabletop decorations, and isn’t even edible. However, those early growers discovered that the green seeds of the Styrian pumpkin prevented bladder and prostrate problems, and eliminated intestinal parasites. It had such amazing health benefits that Styrian farmers grew this fruit for the seeds alone, and discarded the pulp to use as fertilizer.
For 300 years, few people even knowing about the health properties of the Styrian pumpkin seed outside of Slovenia and Austria. It’s only been in recent years that this variety of pumpkin is now being grown in Australia and Canada, and at least on one farm in the United States.
What makes the Styrian pumpkin so special compared to a regular Jack o’Lantern? This variety of pumpkin seed oil is loaded with A, B1, B2, B6, C, D, E, and K, and an assortment of other minerals including magnesium, iron and calcium. In addition to all those vitamins, it also contains somewhere between 60 to 90 percent unsaturated fats, is rich in vegetable protein and has both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids in a 3- to-1 ratio. It also contains 45 to 60 percent linoleic acid.
For those of us watching our health, Styrian pumpkin seed oil has all the right ingredients to relieve muscle fatigue and stimulate muscle growth, boost metabolic rate, and maintain weight loss. From a medical standpoint however, the real health benefit is how the oil seems to prevent urinary and prostate problems, maintain the body’s cholesterol levels, and ease the symptoms of arthritis.
Characteristics of the oil
Pumpkin seed oil doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. It’s dark green-black, opaque, and rather thick with a strong nutty flavor. One of the more common recipes seem to be for salad dressing, mixing the pumpkin seed oil with cider vinegar and salt. I’ve also cut it with milder oils for stir fry recipes, and have even added it to batter bread recipes calling for oil.
Pumpkin seed oil is definitely an acquired taste. However, for those of us who have a history of muscle fatigue, urinary or prostate trouble, this is certainly one product that’s may be worth adding to our diets. This product isn’t cheap, an 8 ounce bottle of 100% pumpkin seed oil can run about $20. Locally it can generally be found in health food stores, and is also available through mail order and several on-line outlets.
