(19-11-12) Pumpkins lower blood glucose levels, shrink enlarged prostates and prevent male hair loss

by Brad Chase

(NaturalNews) Pumpkins are a form of Native American squash and are welcome
both as a decorative and edible item in autumn season festivities. While most
people associate pumpkins with Halloween, fall festivals, and American
Thanksgiving desserts, both pumpkins and pumpkin seed oil pack a serious
health- boosting punch.

Pumpkins and pumpkin seed oil have alkaloids, flavonoids, and three different
essential fatty acids. Not only is pumpkin full of antioxidants, the autumn
squash has anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-diabetic properties,
as well.

Pumpkins show promise for diabetes
The Daily Telegraph, a London news source, quoted research performed by East
China Normal University in 2007, which found that pumpkin successfully promoted
the regeneration of damaged pancreas cells in diabetic rats. This led to a
boost in insulin levels in the rats' blood. Scientists conducting the study
believe that pumpkin extract may be beneficial to either pre-diabetic or fully
diabetic humans.

In 2009, a Japanese team of scientists compared pumpkin paste to a control
group of laboratory rats with Type 2 diabetes in an oral glucose tolerance
test. Pumpkin paste was considered to be effective in improving glucose
tolerance and insulin resistance.

Pumpkin seed oil shrinks enlarged prostates in rats
Pumpkin seed oil is produced from raw or roasted pumpkin seeds. It offers a
robust, nutty flavor that blends well in salad dressings. It is high in
essential fatty acids, such as oleic and alpha-linoleic acids.

Urology International published a 2006 study which investigated the effects of
pumpkin seed oil on male rats with enlarged prostate glands. This controlled
study showed that rats treated with pumpkin seed oil alone or in combination
with another solution had a significantly lower weight ratio for their
prostates as well as lower protein levels. This means that pumpkin seed oil was
able to "shrink" enlarged prostate glands in male rats.

Pumpkin reduces inflammation, blood glucose, and fights cancer
One cup of raw, cubed pumpkin contains 30 calories, no fat, one mg of sodium,
eight grams of carbohydrates and one gram of protein. Pumpkin's inflammation
factor is 65, making it mildly anti-inflammatory. Its glycemic load is three,
making pumpkin a wonderful food choice for diabetics. One cup of raw pumpkin
offers 8567 IU of the anti-oxidant vitamin A, which is 171 percent above the
recommended daily allowance for vitamin A as established by the USDA.

Pumpkin seed oil promotes brain, skin, prostate, and hair health
Raw pumpkin seed oil contains healthy omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids,
phytosterols, and vitamins E and K. The linoleic acid contained in pumpkin seed
oil promotes healthy brain function as well as skin suppleness. The oleic acid
in pumpkin seed oil lowers "bad" cholesterol, which promotes heart and liver
health.

Raw, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil is high in the anti-inflammatory and anti-
oxidants, vitamins E and A, as well as vitamin K, which helps to regulate the
metabolism of calcium. The steroid delta-7 sterine found in pumpkin seed oil
may be the element in pumpkin seed oil that blocks DHT, which is a factor in
both prostate enlargement and hair loss in men.

Pumpkin seed oil is also a good source of beta-sitosterol, which also inhibits
the enzyme which converts testosterone to DHT. The recommended dosage for
health benefits is one teaspoon of raw pumpkin seed oil three times a day.

Sources:

Daily Telegraph.com, "Pumpkin May Cut Injections for Diabetes". Daily
Telegraph (London, UK: Telegraph Group). 9 July 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

PubMed.gov, Yoshinari O, Sato H, Igarashi K (2009). "Anti-diabetic effects of
pumpkin and its components, trigonelline and nicotinic acid, on Goto-Kakizaki
rats". Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 73 (5): 1033- 41. https:
//www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/73/5/73_80805/_pdf

Pubmed.gov, Urology International. 2006; 77(3):269-74. "Pumpkin seed oil and
phytosterol-F can block testosterone/prazosin-induced prostate growth in rats."
Tsai YS, et al.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17033217

Bavec F, Grobelnik Mlakar S, Rozman C, Bavec M (2007). "Oil Pumpkins: Niche
for Organic Producers". Issues in new crops and new uses. Purdue University
Agriculture, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu07/pdfs/bavec185-189.pdf

PubMed.gov, Yadav M, et al. (2010). "Medicinal and biological potential of
pumpkin: an updated review". Nutritional Research Review 23 (2): 184-90.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21110905

Nutrition Data. Self.com, "Pumpkin, raw"
http://nutritiondata.self.com

Superfood Profiles.com, "Pumpkin Seed Oil- Its Nutritional Profile and Correct
Dosage"
http://superfoodprofiles.com/pumpkin-seed-oil

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