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Cucurbita pepo

Cucurbita pepo is the pumpkin plant, whose seed oil and extract are used as a supplement thought to act on prostate and bladder tissue. People mostly look at it for benign prostate enlargement, and the evidence is moderate: several small trials, including one 12-month placebo-controlled study, found urinary symptoms eased in men. Sample sizes were modest, and findings for overactive bladder and hair growth are much thinner.

Sources: PMID 25196580

Best evidence
Grade B
Conditions studied
0
Outcomes
5
Graded outcomes
0113

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

General outcomes

General

General: outcomes studied for Cucurbita pepo
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
BPH Symptom Relief

Several small RCTs show pumpkin seed oil (320-480mg/day, alone or combined with saw palmetto) significantly improves IPSS scores and urinary symptoms in men with BPH. One 12-month placebo-controlled RCT demonstrated significant symptom improvement. Widely used as a phytomedicine for prostate health in Germany, where it is approved by the German Commission E.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect7 studies300 people

Studies that measured bph symptom relief

Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Limited human trials suggest pumpkin seed oil extract reduces overactive bladder symptoms in postmenopausal women, including decreased urinary frequency and urgency. The proposed mechanism involves relaxation of bladder smooth muscle.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect7 studies120 people

Studies that measured overactive bladder symptoms

Hair Growth

A single RCT found that pumpkin seed oil (400mg/day) improved hair count in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo. The proposed mechanism is 5-alpha reductase inhibition reducing DHT. This finding requires replication.

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect7 studies76 people

Studies that measured hair growth

Antiparasitic Activity

Traditional use of pumpkin seeds as an antiparasitic, particularly for tapeworms, is attributed to the amino acid cucurbitin which may paralyze intestinal worms. This was a historical remedy before modern antiparasitics, but limited modern clinical evidence exists to confirm efficacy.

Changes; see studiesSmall effect6 studies

Studies that measured antiparasitic activity

Blood Sugar Reduction

Animal studies suggest pumpkin seed extracts may have hypoglycemic effects and improve insulin sensitivity. Human evidence is very limited and preliminary. Not supported as a first-line intervention for diabetes management.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect6 studies

Studies that measured blood sugar reduction

Key findings

  • BPH Symptom ReliefImproves (the measure goes up)
  • Overactive Bladder SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Hair GrowthImproves (the measure goes up)

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Third-party tested Cucurbita pepo products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.

  • Grade B

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Studies cited

9 studies from PubMed

  1. α-Linolenic acid and product octadecanoids in Styrian pumpkin seeds and oils: How processing impacts lipidomes of fatty acid, triacylglycerol and oxylipin molecular structures.Food Chemistry, 2022 · PMID 34600364
  2. Microbiome-Assisted Breeding to Understand Cultivar-Dependent Assembly in Cucurbita pepo.Frontiers in Plant Science, 2021 · PMID 33897731
  3. Pumpkin seed oil and phytosterol-F in BPH: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-month studyUrol Int, 2015 · PMID 25196580
  4. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopeciaEvid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014 · PMID 24869772
  5. Pumpkin seed extract for overactive bladder in womenJ Med Food, 2014 · PMID 18667058
  6. Characterization of the aroma signature of styrian pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo var. Styriaca) by molecular sensory science.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2013 · PMID 23461409
  7. Microbial diversity inside pumpkins: microhabitat-specific communities display a high antagonistic potential against phytopathogens.Microbial Ecology, 2012 · PMID 21947430
  8. Artificial elevation of glutathione affects symptom development in ZYMV-infected Cucurbita pepo L. plants.Archives of Virology, 2007 · PMID 17143780
  9. Combination therapy for BPH with saw palmetto and pumpkin seedBr J Urol, 1990 · PMID 11095159