Pumpkin seeds Pumpkin seeds

Subtly sweet and nutty with a malleable, chewy texture, the roasted seeds from inside your Halloween pumpkin are one of the most nutritious and flavorful seeds around. While pumpkin seeds are available year round, they are the freshest in the fall when pumpkins are in season.

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are flat, dark green seeds. Some are encased in a yellow-white husk, although some varieties of pumpkins produce seeds without shells. Like cantaloupe, cucumber, and squash, pumpkins and pumpkin seeds belong to the gourd or Cucurbitaceae family.

Food Chart
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Pumpkin seeds provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Pumpkin seeds can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Pumpkin seeds, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

* Health Benefits
* Description
* History
* How to Select and Store
* How to Enjoy
* Individual Concerns
* Nutritional Profile
* References

Health Benefits

Pumpkin Seeds May Promote Prostate Health

Benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, is a condition that commonly affects men 50 years and older in the United States. BPH involves enlargement of the prostate gland. One of the factors that contributes to BPH is overstimulation of the prostate cells by testosterone and its conversion product, DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Components in pumpkin seed oil appear able to interrupt this triggering of prostate cell multiplication by testosterone and DHT, although the exact mechanism for this effect is still a matter of discussion. Equally open for discussion is the relationship between pumpkin seed oil extracts (which could be purchased in the form of a dietary supplement) and pumpkin seeds themselves. The prostate-helpful components found in the oil extracts are definitely found in the seeds; the only question is whether the amount of seeds eaten for a normal snack would contain enough of these prostate-supportive components. The carotenoids found in pumpkin seeds, and the omega-3 fats found in pumpkin seeds are also being studied for their potential prostate benefits. Men with higher amounts of carotenoids in their diet have less risk for BPH; this is the connection that has led to an interest in pumpkin seed carotenoids.

Zinc is one further nutrient found in pumpkin seeds that might impact prostate function. The fact that pumpkin seeds serve as a good source of zinc may contribute to the role of pumpkin seeds in support of the prostate. However, studies about the relationship between zinc and BPH show mixed results, and more research is needed to determine the circumstances under which zinc might be helpful versus harmful.

To finish this wonderful article go to...www.whfoods.com/genpage.php

By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Cutting back on carbohydrates appears to slow the growth of prostate tumors, even if pounds aren't lost, according to an animal study in this week's online edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
Other research has suggested a diet light in carbs could slow tumor growth, but the animals in those studies also lost weight, says lead author Stephen Freedland, a urologist with the Duke Prostate Center in Durham, N.C.. He says scientists know weight loss can restrict energy that feeds tumors, but they were not sure if pure carbohydrate restriction, even when pounds aren't lost, had an impact until now.

Although his study was in mice, Freedland says his findings as well as those from other studies are strong enough for him to recommend patients reduce intake of refined carbohydrates — such as sweetened drinks and white bread. His recommendation mirrors recently released Prostate Cancer Foundation guidelines he helped create. Whether carbs need to be scaled back to Atkins diet levels will be the focus of future research, he says.

Article Source: www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-05-28-cuttingcarb-prostatecancer_N.htm

Here are some good facts to know about the benifits of  Kathy's Krackers for Men!

Significant Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Flaxseed has a high content of alpha linolenic acids, which is the equivalent of the omega 3 fatty acids found in some fish. Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for proper brain function and general development of the body. These acids also help prevent health problems due to obesity, a great problem amongst American men.
Benefits the Colon
Colon cancer leads the cancers in the attack on men and women alike. Good fiber is essential for the bowels to function properly; flaxseed provides insoluble fiber which eases constipation and promotes good health in the colon.
A Natural Antioxidant
Men experience AMS (aging male syndrome) between the ages of 35 and 65. The natural antioxidants found in the lignans of the flax plant have been found to diminish the activity of free radicals that can damage cells, thus slowing the process of aging.
Lowers Cholesterol
Flax provides soluble fiber as well as insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber works to lower blood cholesterol, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the greatest cause of death for men in the United States.
Helps Fight Diabetes
By moderating the release of glucose into the bloodstream, the fiber in flax helps fight against diabetes, which can cause erectile dysfunction.
Shields Against ProstrateCancer
Lignans, found in the flax plant, aid in balancing hormone levels and prevent the formation of cancerous tumors. Lignans slow cancer cell growth in men already diagnosed with prostrate cancer, the most common cancer in men.

For more information on this article go to:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_4793696_health-benefits-flaxseed-men.html

A recent study of prostate cancer tumors shows that adding flaxseed to a man's diet can slow tumor growth.

Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., a researcher in Duke’s School of Nursing and lead investigator on the study said, “Our previous studies in animals and in humans had shown a correlation between flaxseed supplementation and slowed tumor growth, but the participants in those studies had taken flaxseed in conjunction with a low-fat diet. For this study, we demonstrated that it is flaxseed that primarily offers the protective benefit.”

The study included 180 men. Some of the men ate 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed each day. All the men who had eaten the flaxseed had a slow tumor growth compared to those who did not have any flaxseed in their diet. To read the rest of the story go to: advancedprostatecancer.net/