What is that
Pumpkin seed oil is obtained by cold pressing the seeds of the homonymous plant (Cucurbita pepo L.).
Nutritional characteristics
The chemical composition of pumpkin seed oil varies in relation to the varieties and botanical species from which the seeds are obtained, whose nutritional characteristics are also influenced by the cultivation techniques and the environmental peculiarities of the territory. indicative is the acidic composition recorded in a study conducted on twelve varieties of Curcubita maxima: there is a clear predominance of unsaturated fatty acids (73.1-80.5%), especially in terms of oleic and linoleic acid; the levels of linolenic acid are particularly low (<1%), so that the now omnipresent claim: "rich in omega three" certainly cannot be attributed to pumpkin seed oil.
As for saturated fatty acids, those with the greatest cholesterogenic action - myristic and palmitic - vary from 12.8 to 18.7%.
The vitamin E content is significant (27.1 - 75.1 mcg of alpha-tocopherol per gram of oil; 74.9 - 492.8 mcg of gamma-tocopherol per gram of oil; 35.3 - 1109.7 mcg of delta-tocopherol per gram of oil).
According to the results of this study, from a nutritional point of view, pumpkin seed oil embodies the typical characteristics of other, more common and less expensive vegetable oils, such as soybean and peanut. There are therefore no particular reasons to prefer it to these products, except for the particular characteristics reported in the following paragraph. In any case, the richness in oleic and linolenic acid, and the good content of vitamin E, give pumpkin seed oil mild lipid-lowering and preventive properties in comparisons of atherosclerotic diseases, probably enhanced by the richness in phytosterols.
Phytotherapeutic properties
Certainly more interesting are the phytotherapeutic properties ascribed to pumpkin seed oil, deriving from its richness in betasterols structurally similar to androgens and estrogens; being lipophilic compounds, these substances present in pumpkin seeds are also found in excellent quantities in the oil. which is derived from them. These substances have been shown to be useful for lowering cholesterol levels, improving post-menopausal estrogen deficiency symptoms, and relieving symptoms of prostatic hypertrophy, an effect that appears to be linked in part to the ability to inhibit the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. and partly to the obstacle offered to the link between androgen receptors and dihydrotestorone.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 35 women who went through menopause for natural or iatrogenic reasons (surgery for benign conditions) were given 2 grams of pumpkin seed oil per day for a period of 12 weeks. Compared to the placebo-treated control group, the administration of pumpkin seed oil ensured a significant increase in HDL values associated with a drop in blood pressure; furthermore, the compilation of a questionnaire concerning the perception of the most common post-menopausal disorders allowed to observe a significant improvement in the symptoms of estrogen deficiency, especially in terms of reduction of hot flashes, headaches and joint pains.
A recent study evaluated the hypotensive activity of pumpkin seed oil by comparing it with that of amlodipine (a drug with an anti-hypertensive action), demonstrating - in rats - the cardioprotective and hypotensive effect of the oil, presumably due to an "increased synthesis of nitric oxide,
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on 47 Korean patients, with a mean age of 53.3 years, with benign prostatic hyperplasia, the efficacy of pumpkin seed oil administered for 12 months alone was tested. (320 mg / day) or in combination with oil of Serenoa repens (320 mg / day of one + 320 mg / day of the other); the results were compared with those of the group treated with placebo (320 mg of sweet potato starch) or with serenoa oil alone (320 mg / per day) None of the proposed treatments guaranteed a significant reduction in prostate volume; the serum PSA values decreased in the group that took the two oils together, while the quality of life improved after 6 months. separately ensured an improvement in prostatic symptoms expressed through the IPSS (International Prostatic Symptom Score) over three months, while the maximum urinary flow improved after six months in the group treated with pumpkin seed oil, and after 12 months in the group treated with serenoa oil.
Recalling that the researches must be interpreted with due caution as long as the results are not unambiguously confirmed by several studies, pumpkin seed oil can represent a valid natural alternative or at least a complement to the pharmacological treatments undertaken for the treatment of "hypercholesterolemia," hypertension, symptoms of prostatic hypertrophy and disorders related to menopause. Consult your doctor.
Bibliography
J Agric Food Chem. 2007 May 16; 55: 4005-13. Epub 2007 Apr 18.
Oil and tocopherol content and composition of pumpkin seed oil in 12 cultivars.
Stevenson DG, Eller FJ, Wang L, Jane JL, Wang T, Inglett GE.Nutr Res Pract. 2009 Winter; 3: 323-7. Epub 2009 Dec 31.
Effects of pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto oil in Korean men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Hong H, Kim CS, Maeng S. Climacteric.
2011 Oct; 14: 558-64. Epub 2011 May 5.
Improvement in HDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women supplemented with pumpkin seed oil: pilot study.
Gossell-Williams M, Hyde C, Hunter T, Simms-Stewart D, Fletcher H, McGrowder D, Walters CA.J Med Food. 2011 Nov 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Antihypertensive and Cardioprotective Effects of Pumpkin Seed Oil.
El-Mosallamy AE, Sleem AA, Abdel-Salam OM, Shaffie N, Kenawy SA.Other articles on "Pumpkin Seed Oil"
- Pumpkin in Herbalist: property of the Pumpkin
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin: properties and uses of the Pumpkin
- Pumpkin seeds and prostate health
