Pump Up Your Hair with Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds can go under the radar to help you locks look their best. If you are keen to keep your hair looking and feeling its best, this blog is for you.

Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, as made from a pumpkin. The seeds are made by harvesting the seeds, cleaning, and then drying the seeds. The process can vary depending on if you buy the seeds raw, hulled or roasted.

Pumpkin seeds are packed full of nutrients that help your hair grow and keep your scalp healthy. These include:

• Zinc     Zinc is a mineral which helps regulate your hormones, supports hair follicle health, and may reduce your hair thinning.
• Magnesium    This mineral may help Improve the blood flow to your scalp and supports protein synthesis.
• Iron     Essential for oxygen delivery to hair follicles. This is important as low iron can promote hair loss.
• Protein           Hair is made of keratin which is a type of protein. A small handful (30g) of pumpkins seeds will give your body around 9g of protein. Well on your way to a good snack amount which is 15g.
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids            This essential fatty acid helps to nourish your scalp and help to keep your hair shiny.
• Vitamin E       Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which also acts as an antioxidant. As a powerful antioxidant may help reduce scalp inflammation and supports circulation.
• Hair- Gut Axis Your body has a gut-skin axis. This means that when your gut microbiome is in optimal health it benefits the health of your skin. Pumpkin seeds are a source of prebiotic fibre which feed the health promoting microbes in your gut. (4)

What the Research Says

A randomised controlled trial found that men who had alopecia who ate 400mg of pumpkin seed oil a day for 24 weeks had approximately 40% increase in hair count compared to the men who took a placebo. This study did use an oil over a whole pumpkin seed; however, this oil still contained all the nutrients of a whole pumpkin seed such as zinc, protein and essential fatty acids. (1)

A systematic review of nutritional supplementation for hair loss investigated the potential effects of pumpkin seeds on hair loss. The review used 30 studies and reported that pumpkin seeds show potential for treating hair loss although not conclusive. (2)

A third recent study investigated the potential effects of consuming an oral supplement on androgenetic alopecia. The oral supplement included L-cystine, serenoa repens, pyeum africanum and pumpkin seed oil. The study was a double-blind, placebo- controlled trial. The researchers found that those participants who took the supplement had improvements in hair loss and hair growth parameters. The benefits sound included reduction in hair shedding and hair density improved. (3)

Ways You Can Use Pumpkin Seeds:

• Snack: 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (30 g serve is a serve of lean meat alternatives) as a daily snack.
• Smoothies: Blend into your morning smoothie with pumpkin seeds for a nutrient boost.
• Salads & Bowls: Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on salads, soups, or stir-fries.
• Nut Butter Mix: Combine pumpkin seeds with your regular favourite nut and make your own nut-seed butter. Top onto a few Corn Thins slices for a perfect snack!

Take home message:  Keep your hair feeling and looking its best and pump up your hair with pumpkin seeds. By including 30–60 g of pumpkin seeds a day, or using pumpkin seed oil, may help reduce hair loss and promote hair growth. The effects may be especially prevalent if you have low zinc levels or hormonal hair loss.

References:

1. Cho YH, Lee SY, Jeong DW, Choi EJ, Kim YJ, Lee JG, Yi YH, Cha HS. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:54972 doi: 10.1155/2014/549721. Epub 2014 Apr 23. PMID: 24864154; PMCID: PMC4017725.
2. Drake L, Reyes-Hadsall S, Martinez J, Heinrich C, Huang K, Mostaghimi A. Evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of Nutritional Supplements for Treating Hair Loss: A Systematic Review. JAMA Dermatol. 2023;159(1):79–86. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024867
3. 51252 Oral supplementation with L-Cystine, Serenoa repens, Pumpkin seed oil and Pygeum africanum in Chronic Telogen Effluvium and Androgenetic Alopecia: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study

Feng Y. Exploring clues pointing toward the existence of a brain-gut microbiota-hair follicle axis. Curr Res Transl Med. 2024 Mar;72(1):103408. doi: 10.1016/j.retram.2023.103408. Epub 2023 Sep 10. PMID: