Pumpkin seed oil is cold pressed from pumpkin seeds for a range of culinary and cosmetic uses. Its nutty flavor makes it a favorite in desserts, salad dressings, and a finishing oil for dishes. It’s also offered as a treatment for healthy hair and skin.

Researchers are also exploring pumpkin seed oil’s ability to heal wounds. Studies have been conducted using rodents, but further research into the effects on humans is needed.  Pumpkin seeds are high in antioxidants that help your body fight off disease. Their anti-inflammatory properties are also being studied.

Modern science supports many claims about pumpkin seed oil’s benefits and offers several reasons why you should incorporate pumpkin seed oil into your diet.

Potential Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. However, the same thing that makes pumpkin seed oil so potent can also create complications for people with certain medical conditions. 

Research has found a number of potential health benefits to consuming pumpkin seed oil: 

Prostate Health

Pumpkin seed oil may help improve benign prostate hyperplasia, which is an enlarged prostate. In a randomized trial, pumpkin seed oil eased symptoms of enlarged prostate and improved participants’ quality of life over a three-month period. 

Topical pumpkin seed oil has also safely and non-invasively treated chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, a bacterial infection common in older men.

Hair Growth

For people trying to grow hair, pumpkin seed oil may be a helpful supplement. One study tested the success of pumpkin seed oil in men with mild to moderate hair loss. Those in the pumpkin seed oil group grew 30 % more hair than those in the placebo group.