Maxine Gossell-Williams, Contributor

The following article has been reprinted on the request of our readers.

Pumpkin is a fruit grown and eaten in North America, China, Hungary, Austria, Mexico Yugoslavia and several Caribbean countries including Jamaica (Murkovic et. al. 1996). The seeds of the pumpkin are a rich source of vitamins A, B and E, omega-3 and omega-6, zinc, selenium, carbohydrates and cholesterol-like molecules called phytosterols.

Countries such as Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine have reported that eating a handful of pumpkin seeds is beneficial for the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia. In this condition there is enlargement of the prostate, an organ found encircling the urethra of males. The enlargement produces compression of the urethra and therefore causes difficulty in passing urine, thus the associated Jamaican term, 'stoppage of water'.

Usefulness

Monographs produced by the German Commission have documented the usefulness of pumpkin seeds oil for the treatment of prostate enlargement and a few clinical evaluations in Europe have confirmed that it alleviates the associated urinary complications. In one clinical trial, over 2,000 men suffering from prostate enlargement were treated with capsules containing pumpkin seed oil and found that there was significant improvement in urinary function. So effective are the actions of pumpkin seed oil that GlaxoSmithkline currently produces a pharmaceutical pumpkin seed oil preparation called 'ProstaFink' that is marketed in Europe. Using an animal model of prostate enlargement, researches in the Pharmacology section of the University of the West Indies have shown that pumpkin seed oil can inhibit the growth of the prostate and continue to assess the actions to elucidate the mechanism involved.

Pumpkin seed oil has also been reported in folklore to reduce blood cholesterol concentration (http://www.healthinformation/encyclopedias/pumpkin seedOil.asp).

High levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated with chronic illness such as hypertension and stroke. While scientific evidence of the effect of pumpkin seed oil on cholesterol concentration in the blood is limited, it is known that including phytosterols, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet can significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is speculated that since pumpkin seed oil is rich in these compounds, then it may have clinical usefulness in reducing blood cholesterol levels. Researchers in the Pharmacology section at the University of the West Indies are currently investigating this possible action of pumpkin seed oil on blood cholesterol concentrations.

The significance of plants as sources of medicine has gained momentum in current times. In fact many developing countries are directing pharmaceutical research towards producing therapeutically semi-purified forms, which are quantifiable, with no serious toxicities and low in cost.

Currently, pharmacies, supermarkets and other health stores sell imported pumpkin seeds (roasted and unroasted), and there are at least two brands of pumpkin seed oil capsules available. Although the economic value of pumpkin seed sales has not been assessed, oral communication with storeowners has indicated that these products are in high demand in Jamaica. Thus there is significant economic potential for the local production of nutritional and pharmaceutical preparations using Jamaican pumpkin seeds.