Nutritional Information On Roasted & Salted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are readily available in food stores and health shops, and you can easily prepare them yourself. Just take out the seeds from the pumpkin and leave them to dry overnight. Roast them on a low heat for about 15 minutes. Prolonged or high-heat roasting can damage their oils. You can enjoy pumpkin seeds on their own or incorporate them in dishes. Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds are rich in nutrients, but watch your salt intake.

Macronutrients

One tablespoon of pumpkin seeds contains about 46 calories, 4 g of fat and 2 g of protein. Although this is a considerable amount of calories and fat, most of the fat in pumpkin seeds is of the unsaturated type, which is not harmful to your health. However, if you are on a calorie-restricted diet, you should limit the amount of pumpkin seeds you eat. Salted pumpkin seeds are also high in salt -- unsalted ones are a healthier alternative especially if you have medical conditions such as high blood pressure.

Micronutrients

Pumpkin seeds are good sources of vitamin K, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and copper. Magnesium is important for nerve and muscle function and for healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus acts as a buffer in the body, helping to maintain the correct acid-base balance. Iron and copper are both essential for healthy red blood cells.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is an enlargement of the prostate that can cause problems such as frequent and painful urination and an increased risk of urinary tract infections. Pumpkin seeds may be useful in the management of BPH, reported a study published in the June 2011 issue of "Urologia Internationalis." The researchers found that in rats, supplementation with pumpkin seeds inhibited the hormonal induction of BPH, possibly by normalizing hormone levels. Further research is warranted to investigate whether this effect will be replicated in humans.

Cholesterol Management

Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols, natural substances that help to decrease blood cholesterol levels. An article in the September 2007 issue of "Plant Foods for Human Nutrition" reported that pumpkin seeds contain 24.9 mg of beta-sitosterol per 100 g of pumpkin seeds. Beta-sitosterol is often added to margarines and marketed as a cholesterol-lowering agent. It achieves this effect by inhibiting cholesterol from being absorbed from the intestines.