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What’s a Pepita? Excerpt from October 2001 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
That is a question that we sometimes get from food industry tracking services, as well as from individuals. This is not surprising considering how little information I was able to find when searching for interesting facts about Pepitas from the Internet and other sources.
Starting with what we already know. A Pepita is simply a pumpkin seed that has been peeled of the outer hull. The resulting kernel is usually green, or it may have a white coating. They are grown in several parts of the world including, Mexico, China, Greece and others. Pepitas are a tasty little snack, but that is only the beginning of the story.
In ancient lore, pepitas were discovered by Indians and were found to have therapeutic effects especially for men. We have heard this rumor for years, but until recently, have not seen anything scientific as to why that might be.
Pepitas do have a very interesting nutritional profile. Being plant based, they of course, have no cholesterol. Their fat content is mainly polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. the "good" kind, in terms of benefit to the arteries. Protein content is comparatively high as measured with other nuts and seeds.
The real surprise, in studying pepitas is the significant content of the essential amino acid Agrinine. (An essential amino acid is one that the body cannot synthesize, so it must be available in the diet.) Pepitas also have an outstanding amount of the non-essential Glutamic acid. Agrinine, a testosterone precursor, and Glutamic acid seem to play a special role in reproductive health for men, and to some extent for women.
The puzzle now seems to be fitting together. Amazing what we can find with a little research. Pepitas have been a part of our line for over 30 years. We knew they were good, as in being tasty. Now we know more about the unique contribution they may make to good health. |
