Pumpkin Seeds

Overview

Pumpkin seeds are nutrient-dense seeds providing zinc, tryptophan, magnesium, and other minerals critical for neurotransmitter synthesis and antioxidant function. Pumpkin seeds have high zinc content for neurotransmitter modulation and are listed as sources for tryptophan, zinc, and glutamate synthesis. Plant zinc is less bioavailable due to phytates; soaking/sprouting helps improve bioavailability.

Key Nutritional Highlights

• Dense source of zinc and iron relative to many commonly consumed nuts and seeds.
• Higher protein density than many seed toppings used in similar serving sizes.
• Notable tryptophan contribution among plant foods used in snacks and breakfast add-ins.
• Phytate content can reduce apparent mineral bioavailability; soaking/sprouting can improve practical uptake.

Food Context

Synergies

• Soak to reduce phytates and improve mineral bioavailability; soaking and sprouting reduces phytates in legumes/grains, improving non-heme iron and zinc bioavailability
• Pair with grains for complete amino acid profile; grain-legume complementarity improves essential amino-acid coverage
• Pair with complex carbs for tryptophan-to-serotonin conversion; tryptophan + complex carbohydrates aid serotonin conversion to melatonin; examples include pumpkin seeds + oats

Preparation

• Plant zinc less bioavailable due to phytates; soaking/sprouting helps improve bioavailability

Essential Amino Acid Profile

Pumpkin seeds provide a good plant source of protein but are not a complete protein.

Notable amino acids:

• Tryptophan
• Leucine

Limiting amino acids:

• Lysine

Protein pairing strategy:

Pumpkin seeds are notable for tryptophan and leucine but relatively low in lysine. Combining with grains or legumes helps create a more balanced essential amino acid profile.

Recipes

3 recipes containing this food

Ginger Yogurt and Blueberries

A polyphenol-rich breakfast bowl with high fibre, combining ginger, omega-3 nuts, blueberry polyphenols, and probiotic yogurt.

Matcha Mitochondria Smoothie

Mitochondrial energising smoothie rich in polyphenols, magnesium, and antioxidants

Mitochondrial Power Bowl

A nitrate-rich, polyphenol-dense bowl combining leafy greens, beets, berries, nuts, and early harvest olive oil

Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)

Core nutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Energy	600 kcal	—
Protein	23.3 g	—
Total fat	46.7 g	—
Saturated fat	8.3 g	—
Carbohydrates	13.3 g	—
Fibre	3.3 g	—

Key micronutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Iron	9 mg	50%
Calcium	0 mg	0%

Reference intakes: US Dietary Reference Intakes for adults (19–50 years; using the higher of male/female values where they differ).

Data provenance (core / micronutrient panel): USDA FoodData Central, PUMPKIN SEEDS, FDC ID 2027948, API, per 100 g edible portion, last checked 2026-03-14

Substances

Substances in this food: editorial (Overview / literature) plus analytical (nutrition table).

5 substances in this food

Iron

Oxygen transport; dopamine synthesis (tyrosine hydroxylase cofactor)

Magnesium

Enzymatic cofactor (>300 reactions); neurotransmitters; mitochondria; redox balance

Tryptophan

Serotonin/melatonin precursor; NAD+ pathway substrate; LAT1 transport dynamics

Tyrosine

Dopamine and norepinephrine precursor; LAT1 competition with LNAAs

Zinc

Cofactor in neurotransmission and antioxidant enzymes; dopamine modulation

References

[1] Phytate reduction and mineral bioavailability in soaking/sprouting contexts Greiner & Konietzny 1999

[2] Plant-protein adequacy, limiting amino acids, and practical complementarity Mariotti & Gardner 2019