Nutrition In Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

The next time you carve a pumpkin, don't discard the seeds. Instead, prepare them into a delicious snack by drying and toasting them. Also referred to as pepitas, pumpkin seeds contain a high amount of health-promoting compounds, including vitamins and minerals. The vitamin content of pumpkin seeds is much higher before they are toasted, but toasted pumpkin seeds still deliver health benefits.

Minerals

Dietary minerals perform several tasks throughout the body's systems, from building strong bones to contracting muscles, including your heart. Toasted pumpkin seeds are packed full of essential minerals, with the highest concentration being of magnesium and zinc. A 1 ounce serving or approximately 85 seeds contains 74 mg of magnesium and 2.9 mg of zinc, both of which are almost 20 percent of the recommended daily intake set by the Institute of Medicine. Other minerals include copper, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous and calcium. Toasted pumpkin seeds, without salt, only contain 5.1 mg of sodium. If you add salt to the seeds before or after you toast them, the sodium content will be much higher.

Fats

Pumpkin seeds contain 5.5 g of fat in a 1 ounce serving, but the fats are primarily mono and poly-unsaturated fats, which are healthy fats according to Harvard School of Public Health. Mono and polyunsaturated fats may even help prevent heart disease.

Vitamins

Unlike their high mineral content, toasted pumpkin seeds contain only trace amounts of a few vitamins. The B vitamins folate, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6 are available, with less than 1 percent of the recommended daily intake for each of them. Vitamins A and C are also available in toasted pumpkin seeds in small amounts.

Protein

Pumpkin seeds contain a significant amount of protein, with 5.2 g or 10 percent of the RDI in a 1-oz. serving. When protein is digested it is broken down into amino acids, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. The blood transports the amino acids to various cells, where they are rebuilt into the protein that the body needs at that time. Since protein is a part of every cell and organ, the body needs a steady supply. Snacking on pumpkin seeds is a healthy way to replenish your body's protein supply.

Medical Benefits

Toasted pumpkin seeds deliver serious medical benefits, as well as a full nutritional profile. The December 2008 issue of "Food and Chemical Toxicology" reports that pumpkin seeds lower cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis, actions which are primarily due to their high antioxidant and fatty acid content. The oil in pumpkin seeds has also been found to be beneficial in the treating enlarged prostates, according to the Winter 2009 issue of "Nutrition Research and Practice."