These hard-to-find ingredients are great for enriching foods with a lot more than just protein
Pumpkin has historically enjoyed seasonal popularity from September to November. Now, the seeds of the humble Styrian pumpkin are sought after year round for their nutrients. “Every time we talk about pumpkin seed powder and oil with our medical advisory board, everyone expresses their excitement over the health benefits,” confirms Botanic Innovations (BI) Founder and Chief Technology Officer Mark Mueller.
“We’re getting an unprecedented number of inquiries about pumpkin seed powder and oil, and we are increasing production to meet the rising demand,” says Mueller. He explains that many producers don’t want to work with pumpkin because the economics can be problematic. “Both the seed oil and powder must be sold for it to be a profitable product. But the pumpkin seed’s high oil content makes it difficult to work with the powder. There’s an art and science to it. Botanic Innovations has the experience to meet the growing demand for both products.”
When consumed, pumpkin seed powder and oil contribute to an optimized hormone balance, contributing to overall vitality in men, and scientifically validated menopausal support in women. But there’s much more to their story, and what’s driving demand for BI’s clean, certified organic and transparent pumpkin seed ingredients.
Organic Pumpkin Seed Nutri-Powder is a powerful entry into plant-based nutrition
BI’s certified organic Pumpkin Seed Nutri-Powder is an all-natural vegetable seed functional flour ingredient. “It is gaining popularity as a vegan plant-based protein source as well as for its diverse nutritional profile,” explains Mueller.
This is clearly more than a protein-enriching ingredient. BI’s Pumpkin Seed Nutri-Powder has nearly 10% fiber plus an impressive amino acid profile including arginine, alanine, isoleucine, valine, tryptophan and glutamic acid. “It also contains trace levels of calcium and iron, as well as residual nutrients from the seed oil, including carotenoids and all eight vitamin E isomers,” says Mueller.
He adds that BI can blend its pumpkin seed fiber with other seed fibers to achieve whatever nutrient balance is desired. “Our Pumpkin Seed Nutri-Powder is also an allergen-free way to add a slightly nutty taste to your flavor profile.” This ingredient is suitable for a wide range of fortified foods and dietary supplements including bars, dietary supplements and some ready-to-drink applications.
Iconic certified organic pumpkin seed oil is highly nutritious
Pumpkin seed oil has been respected for centuries for its human wellness applications. With antioxidant activity from all eight types of Vitamin E, phytosterols and diverse carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lutein, Pumpkin Seed Oil is an excellent ingredient in functional foods and dietary supplements.
“Pumpkin seed oil supports bladder health and male prostate health, as well as cardiovascular and immune health,” says Mueller. “It contains linoleic acid (omega 6), an essential fatty acid which is involved with a healthy inflammatory response and helps repair flaky, itchy skin.” Pumpkin seed oil has also been shown to block the action of 5-alpha reductase, which increases the conversion of testosterone to DHT. The less DHT means less hair loss in men.
“Pumpkin seed has clinically validated benefits outside of its favorable endocrine effects as well,” adds Botanic Innovations Vice President of Innovation Noah Jenkins, Ph.D. “It has been shown to contain the right beneficial unsaturated fatty acids that combine with its potent phytosterols to elicit shifts in blood lipid values that are highly supportive of cardiovascular health.”
BI’s pumpkin seed oil is non-GMO, Kosher Certified and Halal compliant. It is cold pressed, so it remains unadulterated by heat, solvents or additives.
Botanic Innovations always supplies clean, unadulterated seed oils and powders
“In addition to being certified organic, formulators are assured that Botanic Innovations’ goes to great lengths – including all the heavy metal and pesticide testing — to ensure that our pumpkin seeds, which are imported from China, are clean, unadulterated and in compliance with safety and GMP standards. In addition, we will soon open supply chains from the USA and Europe.”
Botanic Innovations maintains control over its entire production process including importing the seeds, pressing them on-site, storage, blending and bottling. This differs from other manufacturers who may import pressed oils and bottle them in the US.
Mueller stresses that purity and transparency are core values. “This is who we are. We have developed IP around the ingredients we produce. We are a certified USDA organic producer and compliant with all applicable regulations. We are committed to serving the needs of our customers who want ingredients produced in the USA and who do not want the risks associated with adulteration.”
Learn more about Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil or discover our full range of functional food ingredients.