Pumpkin seed oil found to reduce hypertension risk in postmenopausal women
By franzwalkerdw // 2022-03-01
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition many women have to deal with once they enter menopause. But a study by an international team of researchers found a natural supplement that can help postmenopausal women deal with hypertension – pumpkin seed oil. Hypertension is an often silent, symptomless condition that can damage blood vessels and overwork the heart. This leaves those suffering from it vulnerable to disease, stroke and even premature death. But one group of people is more vulnerable to hypertension than others – postmenopausal women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by the time most women reach their 60s and 70s, 70 percent of women will develop high blood pressure. After the age of 75, that figure rises to nearly 80 percent. With this in mind, a team from three universities -- Marymount University and Texas Tech University in the U.S. and the University of Guilan in Iran -- looked at whether pumpkin seed oil could be used to help reduce hypertension in postmenopausal women. The results of the study were published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

Pumpkin seed oil supplementation shown to reduce hypertension

Pumpkin seed oil has been known for its antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects. Animal studies have shown that it can reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels – two important risk factors for heart disease. Other studies suggest that pumpkins' ability to increase nitric oxide generation in the body may be behind its positive effects on heart health. (Related: Unrefined pumpkin seed oil increases antioxidant properties of bakery products.) With this in mind, the researchers looked to see if pumpkin seed oil could be used to reduce hypertension in postmenopausal women. To do this, they conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 23 women between the ages of 48 and 64. The researchers randomly placed the women in one of two groups. One group ingested three grams (g) of pumpkin seed oil a day – they took a 1 g capsule with every main meal. Meanwhile, the placebo group was given maltodextrin, again taking one capsule after every meal. The dose and schedule of the capsules were based on previous studies that showed positive health trends after pumpkin seed supplementation in several populations. This includes decreases in brachial blood pressure in postmenopausal women. Over the course of the study, the participants had their brachial systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure measured to assess arterial hemodynamics and stiffness. In addition, cardiac autonomic function was evaluated by means of heart rate variability (HRV) using standard guidelines. After the trial was over, the participants were told to return unconsumed capsules in order to calculate their compliance with the supplementation regimen. Looking at their data from the study, the researchers observed declines in the resting brachial systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of the group undergoing pumpkin seed oil supplementation. The researchers stated that their findings are consistent with other studies. This included another study that also looked at the effects of pumpkin seed oil supplementation on post-menopausal women. In the study, another group of researchers reported declines in the resting brachial diastolic blood pressure of postmenopausal women after 12 weeks of pumpkin seed oil supplementation. Compared with this previous study, however, the current study demonstrated a better improvement in brachial systolic blood pressure with a higher dosage of pumpkin seed oil. To the researchers, this suggests that reductions in systolic brachial blood pressure after pumpkin seed oil supplementation in postmenopausal women are influenced by dose. For more studies on hypertension and heart health, follow Heart.news. Sources include: ScienceDirect.com 1 ScienceDirect.com 2 LiebertPub.com TAndFOnline.com
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