Pumpkin Seed Oil and its benefits in Reversing Hair Loss

Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds were produced and used for food by Native Americans as early as 1300 AD (de la Guardia & Illueca, 2013). Although pumpkin is grown in many parts of the world today, large-scale production and use of pumpkin seed oil is carried out in China, India, Mexico, Ukraine, Russsia, US and European countries such as Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Hungary and Transylvania (de la Guardia & Illueca, 2013). Pumpkin seed oil is made simply through hulling pumpkin seeds, roasting them and then pressing them. Raw seed oils can also be used (Fürnkranz et al., 2012).

Pumpkin seed oil is used in various ways. Firstly, it is added to different types of foods and beverages to add flavor. For instance, it is added to fresh lemon juice, sauces, soups, honey and ice cream. The content of pumpkin seed oil is also used for medicinal purposes (Fürnkranz et al., 2012). For instance, the oil is used to control intestinal parasites and to treat illnesses such as arthritis, heart diseases and Cystitus. As well, the oil is used to increase milk production among mothers, to enhance kidney and prostate function and to reduce cholesterol level (Koš?álová, Hromádková & Ebringerová, 2009).

Recently, researchers have found that pumpkin seed oil facilitates growth of hair and thus, it can be used to reverse hair loss. A good example is a recent extensive study carried out by Cho et al. (2014). The researchers treated 76 male patients who had a problem of hair loss with pumpkin oil for a period of 24 weeks. The researchers compared the recipients treated with pumpkin with another group of men who were treated with placebos over the same period. Hair count among the recipients treated with pumpkin seed oil increased by 40 percent. On the other hand, hair count for the recipients treated with placebos increased by 10 percent. The researchers found that pumpkin seed oil has medicinal content that prevents overproduction of dihydrotestosterone and treats Androgenetic alopecia, both of which prevent growth of hair follicle (Cho et al., 2014).

Hair growth is stimulated simply through applying pumpkin seed oil hair and scalp. This is done through putting a few drops of the oil on palms and rubbing it against the skin where stimulation of hair growth is needed. Quick growth can be achieved when the oil is applied twice a day (Cho et al., 2014).

References

Cho, Y. H., Lee, S. Y., Jeong, D. W., Choi, E. J., Kim, Y. J., Lee, J. G., Yi, Y. H. &  and

Cha, H. S. (2014). Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2(18), Doi: 10.1155/2014/549721

de la Guardia, M. & Illueca, A. G. (2013). Food Protected Designation of Origin: Methodologies

and Applications. Oxford: Newnes, 2013

Fürnkranz, M., Lukesch, B., Müller, H., Huss, H., Grube, M. & Berg, G. (2012). Microbial

Diversity Inside Pumpkins: Microhabitat-Specific Communities Display a High Antagonistic Potential Against Phytopathogens. Microbial Ecology (Springer) 63 (2), 418–428

Koš?álová, Z., Hromádková, Z. & Ebringerová, A. (2009). Chemical Evaluation of Seeded Fruit

Biomass of Oil Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. var. Styriaca). Chemical Papers, 63(4), –413