Pumpkin Seeds by Spitz
Pumpkin – Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Seed Oil
Botanically pumpkins are berries just like tomatoes and pickles. There are about 500 different species of pumpkins. Some are eatable and others are non-eatable.
Already the North American Indians grew pumpkins as a basic food because they had discovered many of the values the pumpkins have. pumpkins are 90 % water and although the pulp only has about 25 kcal / 100 gram it contains many valuable vitamins and minerals:
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc
The largest pumpkin that was ever found weight over 600 kg. It was a non-eatable pumpkin from the USA where pumpkins are not only just a snack but are used for decoration purposes on many occasions (for example Halloween).
Like potatoes the pumpkins was brought to Europe by Spanish sailors. Even Columbus mentioned pumpkins in his diaries. Quickly the healing values of pumpkins became known and valued by Europeans and an important household remedy for the population. Pumpkins have positive medical effects on gastric and intestine troubles. Gout problems can also be eased by pumpkin seasoned and they are used to cure tapeworm disease.
What the people in passed centuries did not know is the fact that the majority of healthy substances are primarily inside the skin of the pumpkin seed. From a medical point of view the pulp is also healthy but not as valuable as the seed.
In Mediterranean countries pumpkin seeds have been a popular snack for a long time. Similar to sunflower seeds the shell is cracked with the teeth and the delicious seed is enjoyed. Most snack pumpkin seeds are roasted and salted. Besides salted pumpkin seeds Spitz offers exiting Dill Pickle flavour and Seasoned flavour pumpkin seeds.
Very popular and healthy is also pumpkin seed oil that is squeezed out of the pumpkin seeds. Particularly the Austrian pumpkin seed oil is very healthy because it contains many polyunsaturated fatty acids. For 1 litre of pumpkin seed oil about 2,5 kg of pumpkins seeds are needed. The dark colour and very intensive oil is a little more expensive than other type of oils but the great nuttily taste makes easily up for that.
There have been many reports on pumpkin seeds. We have listed a few of the positive effects on human bodies that were mentioned:
- strengthens immune system
- helps preventing a cold
- helps curing skin problems
- strengthens air passages, kidneys, prostate and cardiovascular system
- lowers blood pressure and cholesterol level
- supports lipometabolism
- eases cough
- rejuvenates the skin (f. e. vs. cellulitis)
