Pumpkin Seed Oil 
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbia and the family Cucurbitaceae (which also included gourds). It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata. They typically have a thick, orange or yellow shell, creased from the stem to the bottom, containing the seeds and pulp. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon which is Greek for "large melon". The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin". The origin of pumpkins is not definitely known, although they are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 B.C., were found in Mexico. Pumpkins are a squash-line fruit that range in size from less than 1 pound (0.45 kg) to over 1,000 pounds (453.59 kg). Since some squash share the same botanical classifications as pumpkins, the names are frequently used interchangeably. In general, pumpkin stems are more rigid, prickly, and angular (with an approximate 5 degrees angle) than squash stems, which are generally softer, more rounded, and more flared where joined to the fruit. Pumpkins vary greatly in shape, ranging from oblate to oblong. The rind is smooth and usually lightly ribbed. Although pumpkins are usually orange to yellow, some fruits are dark green, pale green, orange-yellow, white, red and gray. The colour of pumpkins is derived from the orange pigments abundant in them. The main nutrients are lutein and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body.Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are small, flat, green, edible seeds. Most pumpkin seeds are covered by a white husk, although some pumpkin varieties produce seeds without them. The word can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly refers to the roasted end product. Pumpkin seeds are a popular snack that can be found hulled or semi-hulled at most gorcery stores. However, roasting pumpkin seeds is a popular Halloween treat. Pumpkin seeds have many health benefits, some of which include a good source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins, and are even said to lower cholesterol. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of magnesium, manganese, phosporus, and phytosterols.
Pumpkin seeds oil is made by pressing roasted, hulled pumpkin seeds from pumpkins. The viscous oil is light to very dark green to dark red in colour depending on the thickness of the observed sample. The oil appears green in thin layer and red in thick layer. Used together with yoghurt, the colour turns to bright green and is sometimes referred to as "green-gold". Pumpkin seed oil has an intense nutty taste and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. It often serves as a salad dressing when combined with honey or olive oil. The oil is also used for desserts, giving ordinary vanilla ice cream an exquisite nutty taste. Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to help men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH - a condition that affects many men over the age of 50. It causes enlargement of the prostate gland and results in a various urinary symptoms. Studies show that pumpkin seed oil helps reduce the effects of BPH by inhibiting testosterone-induced prostate growth. One study noted that the "protective effect of pumpkin seed oil was significant". The oil has been also shown to help women suffering from overactive bladder and stress incontinence by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Pumpkin seed oil is high in zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that protects the retina and slows the progression of macular degeneration. Medical research reports that zeaxanthin "may be far more important in preventing or stabilizing macular degeneration than previously realized". Pumpkin seed oil is also used to treat depression, kidney stones and parasitic infections.
