- Dietary supplements
- Usage rules
- Contraindications
Losing extra weight and volume is a comprehensive process that involves combining different methods. The use of products aimed at improving metabolic processes can potentially yield good results.
Dietary supplements
Pumpkin became famous not only because it turned into a carriage in a famous fairy tale. This fruit contains many useful substances: fiber, vitamins, and an impressive mineral composition. It’s no coincidence that nutritionists now and then grieve over its complete absence in the diet of many people.
Pumpkin seed oil is a kind of concentrate of everything this fruit can boast of. The product is rich in group B vitamins, as well as vitamins A and E. It also contains vegetable and fatty acids, phospholipids, flavonoids, and carotene (it’s what gives many pumpkin varieties their characteristic orange color).
What properties make pumpkin seed oil useful for losing weight in a dietary context? Sometimes you can hear opinions that this product (when ingested) breaks down the subcutaneous fat layer and then removes all unnecessary substances from the body. This belief is tempting, but not true. However, this is what actually happens:
- Improves the pancreas function;
- Activates the digestive processes;
- The body gets rid of waste products more efficiently.
Scientific fact. Normally, subcutaneous fat is broken down only when the muscles are actively working, i.e. during physical activity. The parallel activation of metabolic processes creates favorable conditions for weight loss.
Another important condition is a balanced diet. If the diet contains an abundance of refined fats and “fast” carbohydrates, then pumpkin seed oil will at best slow down the formation of new subcutaneous fat layers.
Usage rules
How should pumpkin seed oil be used to lose weight? Remember how new foods are introduced into a child’s diet. Often they start with very small amounts. It’s very similar here.
It is recommended to start using the product with the volume of one teaspoon. Just add this amount of oil to a salad, ready-made sauce, slightly cooled portion of porridge, or soup (only if it’s the kind that is eaten cold). Any dish that involves using vegetable oil without heating it will do.
Important! Heat treatment of pumpkin seed oil is unacceptable, as it almost completely deprives it of its beneficial properties. It’s also important to follow the storage conditions: in the dark and at a temperature below 25˚C.
It is recommended to introduce a new product into the diet on a trial basis in a calm environment. Allergic reactions or intolerances can never be ruled out. Even in people who eat pumpkin with pleasure and without the slightest inconvenience to their digestion.
You will also have to consider another sensitive point: possible increased intestinal motility. If this happens smoothly, you will only be glad of such an effect. However, diarrhea is also possible, which can be alleviated by taking sorbents, drinking plenty of fluids, and resting.
Did the body accept the new product positively? If desired, you can slightly increase the “dosage”. However, you should not completely replace vegetable oil in the diet with pumpkin seed oil. The maximum allowable amount is no more than three tablespoons per day. A larger volume can adversely affect the pancreas.
If well tolerated, you can try another method and start drinking pumpkin seed oil for weight loss in its pure form. The regimen is simple: one teaspoon an hour before meals, up to three times a day. The body’s reactions will suggest a more precise regimen. Perhaps a single dose will already give the desired effect for some.
The smell and taste deserve special mention. The opinions about these characteristics are directly opposite. Some admire the specific notes of aroma and taste, while others are not delighted at best. Are you in the second group? You can soften the taste, which seemed unpleasant, by washing the oil down with a couple of sips of any natural juice. It is undesirable to use water for this. Another option is to eat a small slice of bread (oat, buckwheat), or croutons. It must be taken into account that bread itself stimulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and to control the body’s reaction to such combinations of products.
Is this oil not right for you? Don’t be discouraged, there are other equally interesting ones: sea buckthorn, castor, black cumin, coconut.
Contraindications
The main ones are diseases of the pancreas and gallbladder, especially with the formation of stones. In second place are gastrointestinal ailments such as gastritis and ulcers.
The following diseases/conditions require that pumpkin seed oil is used only after medical approval:
- Pregnancy/lactation;
- Diabetes mellitus (regardless of type);
- Dysfunctions of internal organs.
The rational use of pumpkin seed oil for weight loss allows you to achieve better results, which are provided by a diet in combination with feasible and permitted physical activity.
