- Dietary Supplement
- Directions for Use
- Contraindications
Losing those extra pounds and inches is a complex process that requires a multi-pronged approach. Products that enhance metabolic processes can yield good results.
Dietary Supplement
Pumpkins are famous for more than just being a coach in a famous fairy tale. This fruit has many beneficial properties: fiber, vitamins, and an impressive mineral composition. It’s no wonder nutritionists often lament the fact so many people completely eliminate it from their diets.
Pumpkin seed oil is a unique concentrate of everything this fruit has to “brag” about. The product is rich in B vitamins as well as A and E. It is also abundant in fruit and fatty acids, phospholipids, flavonoids, and carotene (which gives many pumpkin varieties their characteristic orange color).
What properties make pumpkin seed oil suitable for use in a weight loss diet? You may come across the opinion that this product (when taken internally) breaks down the subcutaneous lipid layer and then removes everything unnecessary from the body. This is a tempting but incorrect idea. Let’s talk about what really happens:
- improves pancreatic function;
- stimulates digestion;
- helps the body get rid of waste products more efficiently.
Scientific fact. Subcutaneous fat normally breaks down only when muscles are actively working, i.e., during physical exertion. Simultaneous stimulation of metabolic processes creates favorable conditions for weight loss.
Another important condition is a healthy diet. If your diet is rich in refined fats and “fast” carbohydrates, pumpkin seed oil will at best slow the formation of new subcutaneous lipid layers.
Directions for Use
How to take pumpkin seed oil for weight loss? Remember how new products are introduced into a child’s diet. You often start with very small amounts. The same is true here.
It is recommended to start using the product with one teaspoon. Add this amount of oil to a salad, ready-made sauce, a chilled portion of porridge or soup (only if it is one of the types you eat chilled). Any dish that involves using unheated vegetable oil will do.
Important! Pumpkin seed oil must not be heat-treated, as this deprives it of almost all of its beneficial properties. It is also important to observe storage conditions: in darkness and at a temperature below 25˚C.
It is recommended that you introduce this particular product into your diet gradually and calmly. Allergic reactions or intolerance can never be completely ruled out. This applies even to those who eat pumpkin with pleasure and without the slightest digestive discomfort.
Another point to be aware of is possible increased intestinal motility. If this occurs in a mild form, this effect can only be welcomed. However, diarrhea is also possible, which can be relieved by taking sorbents, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting enough rest.
Has your body accepted the new product well? If so, you can slightly increase the “dosage.” However, you should not completely replace vegetable oil in your diet with pumpkin seed oil. The maximum allowable amount is no more than three tablespoons per day. A larger amount may adversely affect pancreatic function.
If you tolerate it well, you can try a different approach and start drinking pumpkin seed oil for weight loss in its pure form. The scheme is simple: one teaspoon an hour before meals, up to three times a day. The more precise scheme will be prompted by your body’s reaction. For some, even one dose may produce the desired effect.
The smell and taste deserve special mention. Opinions on these characteristics are diametrically opposed. Some are delighted with the specific notes of aroma and taste, while others are at best not enthusiastic. Are you in the latter group? The unpleasant taste can be softened by washing down the oil with a couple of sips of any natural juice. Water is not recommended for these purposes. Another option is to eat a small piece of bread (oat, buckwheat) or a rusk. Keep in mind that bread itself stimulates the intestines, so you need to monitor your body’s response to such combinations.
Did this oil not work for you? Do not worry; there are other interesting options: sea buckthorn oil, castor oil, black cumin oil, and coconut oil.
Contraindications
The main contraindications are diseases of the pancreas and gallbladder, especially with the formation of stones. Next come gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis and ulcers.
The following diseases/conditions require a doctor’s approval before using pumpkin seed oil:
- pregnancy/lactation;
- diabetes (any type);
- dysfunctions of internal organs.
Using pumpkin seed oil for weight loss rationally can help achieve better results in combination with a healthy diet and feasible and acceptable physical exercise.
