Pumpkin Seed - Kabak Çekirdeği

Pumpkin is an herbaceous, annual vine native to America, now cultivated worldwide in warm temperate regions. Pumpkin has been cultivated in Mexico and North America since at least 14 000 BC. The ripe dried seeds are used. It is a sweet herb, which soothes irritated tissues and has diuretic properties.

Health and Pumpkin Seed (Kabak çekirdeği)

Pumpkin seed (kabak çekirdeği) is traditionally used to treat a wide variety of illnesses, and through scientific investigation most of the properties have been validated.

It is used as an anthelmintic (to expels intestinal worms), taeniacide (killing tapeworms), as a diuretic, to treat bed-wetting in children and facilitate the passage of urine, while soothing an irritated bladder.

To expel intestinal worms a preparation is made as follows: grind 200-400 g of dried unpeeled seeds into a pulp, mix with milk and honey until a porridge-like consistency and take on an empty stomach in the morning, followed by castor oil 2-3 hours later. Repeat the next morning.

It is also used to reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but does not help to reduce an enlarged prostate. Pumpkin seed (kabak çekirdeği) oil can be taken internally (10 drops three times a day) for urinary track infections, as well as boosting the health of the lungs and mucus membranes. Take for four weeks. Externally the dried seeds can be made into a poultice to treat burns.

An oil is extracted from the seeds and can be used as a base oil for aromatherapy massage and contains protein, zinc and polyunsaturated fats.