The benefits and harms of pumpkin seeds for women: therapeutic effect and rules for using pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds - a rich source of nutrients and vitamins for the female body. When used correctly, they allow you to maintain health and youth, promote weight loss and have a beneficial effect on the formation of the fetus during pregnancy. How to properly eat this useful product - we will tell you below.
The content of the article
Pumpkin seeds composition
Pumpkin seeds contain many vitamins, macro- and microelements. The naturalness of the product allows it to be eaten even during the period of gestation and breastfeeding.
The seeds contain mineral salts, pectin, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, dietary fiber.
The mineral composition is also rich:
- magnesium;
- copper;
- iron;
- zinc;
- phosphorus;
- manganese;
- potassium;
- selenium;
- cobalt;
- silicon;
- iodine.
Consider how things are with the vitamin composition:
Vitamin | What is it useful for |
AND | Maintaining visual acuity and health is the main function of the vitamin. With its lack, visual acuity decreases, in the cold season, the eyes become inflamed, quickly get tired and redden. Also, vitamin A is a source of youth and female beauty. |
B1, or thiamine | Normalizes the work of the heart muscle and the digestive system, strengthens the blood vessels and the nervous system |
B2, or riboflavin | Participates in nutrition and oxygenation of body cells. Indispensable for maintaining healthy teeth, hair, nails and skin |
B3, or PP, nicotinic acid, niacin | Gives the body strength and energy. Useful for irritability, sleep disturbances |
B4, or choline | Reduces cholesterol levels, strengthens the circulatory system. Stabilizes blood pressure, prevents thrombosis |
B5, or pantothenic acid | Stabilizes blood sugar and blood pressure. Strengthens the cardiovascular system. Slows down the aging process |
B6, or pyridoxine | Useful for mental and physical exertion. Removes excess fluid from the body, reduces puffiness. Helps Fight Overweight |
B9, or folic acid | Fights anemia, depression, irritability and loss of energy |
FROM | Strengthens the immune system |
D | Good for the liver, participates in the absorption of calcium, reduces the risk of tumors |
E | Normalizes blood clotting, strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Antioxidant. Useful in old age |
KBZhU content (per 100 g):
- 541 kcal;
- proteins - 24.5 g;
- fats - 45.8 g;
- carbohydrates - 20 g.
Indications for use
What are the symptoms that signal that it's time to introduce pumpkin seeds into your diet? There are several of them:
- fatigue;
- unreasonable irritability;
- deterioration of skin condition, pallor and gray tint;
- weakening of immunity;
- sudden mood swings;
- surges in blood pressure;
- redness of the eyes.
Pumpkin seeds are useful in treating the following conditions and diseases:
- avitaminosis;
- insomnia;
- depression;
- heartburn;
- nausea;
- gastrointestinal diseases, including gastritis;
- kidney disease;
- diabetes;
- poor blood clotting;
- metabolic disease.
Attention! Pumpkin seeds alone cannot cope with diseases. Their use must be combined with the main treatment.
Therapeutic effect for the female body
The female body is more sensitive to food than the male. Consider what and how pumpkin seeds affect:
- Mood. They produce the hormone of joy, prevent frequent mood swings. Allows you to cope with a depressive state.
- Leather. Cope with an unhealthy complexion, flaking and cracking. The skin acquires a healthy glow and smoothness.
- Sleep. Normalize sleep, relieve nervous tension.
- Gastrointestinal tract. Prevents bloating, gas, heartburn and nausea.
- Blood. Improves clotting, strengthens blood vessels and heart muscle.
- Youth. Thanks to antioxidants, they slow down aging. Beneficial for skin, hair and nails.
- Carrying a baby. Strengthens the mother's immunity, reduces the risk of stomach pain, constipation, vomiting.
- Figure. Helps get rid of puffiness and extra pounds.
- Period of menstruation. Relieve pain in the abdomen and lower back, improve appetite.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pumpkin seeds during pregnancy are useful at any time. In the first trimester, the seeds will relieve nausea, heartburn and stomach pain. Throughout pregnancy, seeds will strengthen the immunity of the expectant mother.
During lactation, 100 g of seeds per day will be beneficial. With mother's milk, the child will receive iron, calcium, iodine and vitamins. The digestive system of the baby, as a rule, tolerates the use of pumpkin seeds by a nursing woman.
Application of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are widely used in a wide variety of fields, most notably their use in cooking. Let's find out how pumpkin seeds are used in cosmetology and traditional medicine.
In folk medicine
Traditional medicine suggests getting rid of diseases of the genitourinary system with the help of pumpkin seed.
You will need:
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup hemp seed
- water.
The method of preparation is simple: mix the seeds, pour boiling water and grind in a blender until smooth. Use the resulting mass twice a day for 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals.
Another recipe for traditional medicine helps to strengthen the immune system, restore the body's strength and female beauty.
You will need:
- 2 tbsp. l. seeds;
- 1 tsp honey;
- 1 tsp lemon juice;
- 1 tbsp. l. sour cream;
- water.
Mix all the ingredients, add water at the very end and only if the mass is too thick. Grind in a blender until porridge. Take 3 tbsp in the morning before breakfast. l.
Against worms
Pumpkin seeds are easily removed from the body worms.
You will need:
- 300 g of seeds;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 2 tbsp. l. honey.
Preparation:
- Fry the seeds in a pan without peeling them.
- Grind them in a blender.
- Peel the garlic, chop.
- Combine the seed and garlic.
- Add honey to the mixture.
Take the remedy for at least three days for 1 tbsp. l. two hours before breakfast.
In addition to worms, pumpkin seeds will help get rid of other parasites.
In cosmetology
What woman doesn't want to look well-groomed and beautiful? Radiant and clear skin is the main indicator of the overall health of the body.
If you have a lot of freckles or age spots on your face, then the following recipe will work:
- Take 1 tbsp. l. seeds, clean them.
- Pour in a little water, grind.
- Add some milk. The consistency should be of medium thickness: not too thick and not spread.
- Add a drop of honey (optional).
Apply the whitening mask to clean skin. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then wash and moisturize with a nourishing chamomile cream.
There is also a recipe for oily skin with enlarged pores:
- 1 tbsp. l. chop the seeds (you can pre-cook mashed potatoes).
- Add white or blue clay.
- Add 1 tsp. coffee.
- Finally, add a few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil.
The mask is applied once a week for 25 minutes.
To fight wrinkles in the previous recipe, replace the clay with fatty sour cream.
When losing weight
Here you don't need a blender or garlicnor essential oil.The main thing is the desire to look slender... Make it a rule to chew 4-5 seeds every morning 30 minutes before breakfast without drinking water. This start to the day will kickstart proper digestion.
How to use correctly
The best way is to eat it raw and unsalted. When frying, the level of nutrients is reduced by almost half. You can chew the seeds on an empty stomach, or grind them and add butter or sour cream for flavor. Sour cream will not work if you are losing weight.
You can not eat bitter seeds, as well as those that have an unpleasant or rotten smell. You should peel the seeds with your hands or buy them immediately without the peel. It is not recommended to eat them with the peel: it is rather rough and can easily injure the intestinal walls.
Reference. To improve the condition of the skin and hair, it is enough to eat 50 grains daily.
To diversify your diet, you can add pumpkin seeds to vegetable stews, cereals, salads and baked goods. It will be not only healthy, but also delicious.
Contraindications
Along with the invaluable benefits for women, pumpkin seeds can also be harmful.
So, eating stale seeds, for example, slightly rotten ones, can cause discomfort: the stomach will react with aching pain and nausea.
Overeating can be another cause of feeling unwell. Remember the norm: no more than 100 g of the product should be consumed per day. Otherwise, you can get stomach ulcers, accumulation of salts in the joints, and if you gnaw the shell with your teeth, then damage the enamel.
Contraindications to the use of pumpkin seeds include:
- allergies and individual intolerance to the constituent components;
- shortness of breath during the period of respiratory diseases (can cause dryness and burning sensation in the throat, perspiration);
- ulcers of the stomach and duodenum;
- colitis and gastritis during an exacerbation.
Be careful when eating this product when:
- obesity;
- increased acidity of the stomach.
Let's sum up
Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals. Their composition allows you to fight various ailments: insomnia, depression, pallor of the skin, anemia, hypertension, parasitic infections.
During pregnancy and lactation, pumpkin seeds are especially useful for women: they strengthen the body and minimize the unpleasant symptoms that accompany carrying a baby. Pumpkin seed has found its application in cosmetology. Face masks based on it will moisturize the skin and relieve it of imperfections.