Did You Know These Pumpkin Seed Facts?

Fall seems to fill social feeds with delectable pumpkin everything—from recipes for pumpkin pie and homemade cookies to this orange colored winter squash being blended into smoothies and clean pumpkin spice lattes—there’s certainly no lack of creative ways to use this seasonal ingredient. When you’re carving into your next pumpkin though, don’t toss those super seeds, they’re delicious too!

Also affectionately known as pepitas, pumpkin seeds are loaded with nutritional benefits. Need to sleep better? Snack some pumpkin seeds. Recovering from surgery and healing a wound site? Top a bowl of soup with pumpkin seeds. Want to regulate hormones naturally? Include pumpkin seeds in a seed cycling routine.

Why are these “pumpkin guts” (you could say) so incredible? They’re rich in vitamins and minerals, like vitamin E, vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and iron. It’s the naturally occurring tryptophan in pumpkin seeds that make them beneficial for insomnia and improved sleep quality. They may even help with overactive bladder and prostate health, so that means better rest and urinary function.

Want to feel more frisky this fall? Zinc is an important nutrient for libido and pumpkin seeds are rich with it. A necessary mineral for the production of testosterone, these superfood seeds offer hormone balancing benefits for both men and women, so include some in your date night snacks and charcuterie boards.

Full of antioxidants, studies are being done on the cancer fighting properties of pumpkin seeds, including the prevention of breast, colon, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers. There’s just so many reasons to include this healthy ingredient in a clean food diet!

While pumpkin fascination fills every fall season, we love pumpkin seeds all year long. Try some of these seeds in your smoothies, baked goods, homemade trail mix, and overnight oats. They’re also delicious used as soup and salad toppers or blended into hummus recipes. So in autumn and beyond, eat pumpkin seeds for health and deliciousness.