Pumpkin seeds- bad reaction

[pixie_333]

i ate about 1/4 cup of raw no shells organic pumpkin seeds last night and got a tummy ache almost immediately then received a mild frontal headache. also what tasted really good to start with then all of a sudden the seeds tasted bad to me...an indication my body is saying enough please and that's when the symptoms came in. also it was like gases or vapors was coming up from my stomach and bad taste in my mouth. i went straight to bed after this to rest it off and just got up a little bit ago and my stomach feels like it got punched around my left ovary area besides belly button, but pain isn't to that extreme nor does my ovary hurt.. it's just mild, but feeling a little ate up. and my body is screaming not to eat these seeds anymore... i have the bag right here and just the smell is making me nauseous and almost giving me another headache and making the tummy ache worse. even my left ear is hurting on the outside from the smell.

i think i've only ate cooked pumpkin seeds before and it's been many years and i eat pumpkin pie during the fall and winter holidays without a problem. so is it just because it's raw? could it be because i didn't soak nor rinse it off? (and i am such a clean freak with food, but was lazy to do it). the seeds came from a bulk bin i bought at whole foods.

i'm trying to figure it out if and if so why would i be "allergic" to raw pumpkin seeds when i'm dandy with cooked. does this indicate a health problem?

i'm fine to eat and drink..even last night i was fine to drink ect.

does anyone want any pumpkin seeds? lol :D

[Zanjabil]

It could be because they were not soaked. You ate and actual 1/4 cup? or was it more like a handful?

[rawchic]

sorry you felt so crummy! yeah, I would agree with soaking them. and also, a 1/4 cup sounds like a lot. maybe don't have any for a week or so, and then try having them again but in a smaller dose.

[rawstrength]

maybe some of you don't know how much 1/4 cup is? 1/4 cup is not a lot of seeds to me (but I am kind of a big eater because I exercies a lot). In any case, it looks like pumpkin seeds are not for you!
We become much more sensitive to everything when we are raw. You didn't realize pumpkin made you feel bad before because you were eating cooked so you always felt bad regardless of whether you had pumpkin seeds or not.
I know someone who didn't realize they were allergic to nuts until they went raw.

[pixie_333]

hey, thanks for the replies.

hey rawstrength, i'm only about 65% raw. i'm waiting on my blender and a couple more food items before i start 100% so i don't make it rough on me during transition and i'm super skinny to start with. should be any day now. :) woohoo.

yeah, a 1/4 cup is like a big handful and i would of kept eating if it weren't for the signals to stop.

i still feel bad and actualy went back to bed after i wrote this and just got up 10 minutes ago.

last night i googled "raw pumpkin seeds stomach ache headache" and some other versions and the best i could find is that it gives some people stomach aches.

something doesn't feel right here. you'd think it would of passed by now and because i can still eat and drink i'm not considering it food posion, but i'm not certain...could be..or it's triggered something.
the stomach pain has now moved about 2 inches down.. i guess today i could feel where it was in insestions ect????? but i still have mild headache.

i'm not eating 'em again and i'm disapointed because i really like 'em.


does anyone get stomach aches from eating them? if so.. is there a differance for soaking them first to stop it?

[pixie_333]

i phoned whole foods and i'm the only one who's addressed an issue.. so it might just be my body... however most times i've never called companies that gave me food posion so this could be the case if somethings wrong with the product.

she's calling the company and calling me back soon.

the stomach ache came back again and still have that pain in intestions...and headache. geez..just go away by now! lol

[pixie_333]

it took 20 hours to feel better.

and i was correct feeling the "posion" everywhere it went through my body until the moment came i hit the cammode. and about 2 hours afterwards all of the flu like symptoms finaly went away.

i'm never eating it again.

[spicyfull]

I agree, I'd never eat them again. Glad you are feeling better.

[Humanist]

Pumpkin seeds in moderation should cause no problems if they are chewed thoroughly.

[freshlight]

perhaps they weren't raw? Glad you're feeling better :) Take care, Eva

[michigan roman]

i never liked raw pumpkin seeds til i started rinsing them off / soaking a little while then drying them . and i think its because the seeds are coated in the slimy dried up inner pumpkin pulp , which i could imagine in instances promotes unseeable mold growth . but since i started rinsing them i really like them and eat as a good zinc source .

[pixie_333]

hmmmm. interesting points michigan roman.

they are raw i know this for sure. they look clean, but looks can be deceiving. i feel i did chew them well before i swallowed.

i may try it again in future but only if i buy a whole pumpkin and get the seeds myself.

i think i got food posioning because my stomach hurts thinking about these seeds i bought and this is what always happens to me with items i got food poisioning with in past.
whole foods hasn't called me back and of course they wouldn't even if they knew something was wrong. they'd think i'd sue and lose my business. neither would happen from me.

well i've definately learned a lesson regardless of what the case may be with these seeds.. always wash first.

[pixie_333]

Pumpkin seeds in moderation should cause no problems if they are chewed thoroughly.

unless ones allergic or it's posioned.

i can't eat hemp. it always makes me ill. and i'm allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant. and a nutrcianist said i'm allergic to wheat however i've never felt a problem. so i think everyones different.

[salmeton]

I find it quite interesting to read that someone else had experienced a bad reaction to pumpkin seeds. It took several bouts of severe stomach cramps, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea to zero in on pumpkin seeds as being the culprit. For me, it doesn't matter whether or not they are raw or cooked. I remember well what I ate, when afterwards, I thought I was going to die. Once tossed in a salad, once in a fruit, nut and seed square purchased at a coffee shop, once in an organic breakfast cereal, and once bought in bulk. It was after this last episode that the light bulb clicked on. I also had the experience of days and weeks after the final episode of feeling nauseous from just imagining pumpkin seeds. I now read all ingredient labels very carefully as I do not wish to ever relive the experience.

[WkngMom103]

Of course, this is years after your experience, but I'm really amazed at the similarity in our symptoms.

I was eating nut snack packs, on the go, as part of a low-carb diet. I decided I could make my own snack bags, so I bought nuts in bulk, also adding seeds -- PUMPKIN SEEDS.

That night, I began having persistent lower abdominal cramps. I had them for days and could not figure it out. The beginning of my cycle was a week away, so it would be unusual to have cramps a week in advance. I thought it may have been an Atkins snack bar, so I avoided those. Still had cramps. The cramps then became localized to the left ovary, which freaked me out. I started reading about ovarian cysts and a bunch of other more scary conditions that can always be found on the internet if you look hard enough.

It finally occurred to me that it could be the nuts. The next day I ate all carbs. Dry cereal for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread for lunch, etc. No nuts. Cramps went away.

I kept thinking about the cause. I decided to Google pumpkin seeds and cramping and came upon this thread. Our symptoms are amazingly similar!

Yesterday I ate a few almonds and walnuts. No problems. It's the pumpkin seeds. Eureka! Thanks for posting this discussion. It's helped confirm what the root of the problem was. :)

[Psychalone]

I had the same thing happen. I went on a camping trip with my friend and brought some raw pumpkin seeds. Had them in the evening, then woke up in the middle of the night with pain that had me rocking in the fetal position. I had about 1/2-3/4 cup because thats all I brought and I was raw at the time.

Anyway, yes, raw seeds and raw nuts (more-so seeds) are basically indigestible. Some people seem to be able to handle them without much pain, but it's near impossible for the body to break it down due to the enzyme inhibitor and phytates. However by sprouting (sometimes soaking isn't enough to completely deactivate the harmful elements) I found I could eat 6 cups a day with no issues. Also you could ferment them and make seed cheese and dips if you're into that kinda thing.

But no i wouldn't say you're allergic to pumpkin seeds I think you're just sensitive to all of the factors that prevent the digestion of seeds. Ever try eating uncooked, unsoaked, unsprouted grains or beans? I assure you the same thing would happen. There's a reason ancient civilizations cooked these items. Now we can improve on their method and sprout/ferment them.

Sprouting's easy enough, but here's some recipes for seed cheese if you're interested:
http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/seed-cheese-recipes.html

Of course it's important to test to see if probiotics are ACTIVE or not. It's also important, imo, not to blend the probiotics, it would be preferable to simply stir them in with a spoon or something. It would be my guess that the blender may damage the bacteria? I could be totally wrong on that, i'm just guessing, but I would just be aware to preserve the bacteria as they are an important part of the cheese's fermentation.

To check if a probiotic is active or not check here:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/03/is-my-probiotic-supplement-active-at.html

[modernmonkey]

If you want to try pumpkin seeds once more, try them on these conditions:

raw
rinsed
soaked
20 seeds
not with any other fats
combined with some vegetation
chewed properly
eat nothing else 30 minutes before or 1 hour after

If you still experience discomfort then they are definitely not something to be included in your diet.

[pixie_333]

hey, it's been nearly like eons since i've visited here and always loved this place... saw a reply in my spam/junk mail just now... and i usualy delete without looking at mail in this folder.

update... i still haven't tried to eat raw pumkin seeds. my body screams no to it whenever i find them in stores. it possably could be the 7 year change for me. and i completely agree with much of the feedback given from others.

i failed to mention past updates. it also affected my lympth nodes on neck. i phoned my healer and she told me how to heal myself. now i really wish i would of posted how to do it because she passed away last spring and i can't remember. but i had to use pressure points on certain places where we feel pulses on arms and legs. it healed me quickly.
my healer mentioned that it might of been because the seeds weren't organic. but so many of us getting ill off of them... it really makes me ponder. i do have a very strong stomach, although i am allergic to a few things... i can tolerate most if organic although i should avoid them.
but i've only experienced these ill effects with raw pumpkin seeds and hemp.

thanks for the replies... i don't feel all alone. :)

[pixie_333]

.

Anyway, yes, raw seeds and raw nuts (more-so seeds) are basically indigestible. Some people seem to be able to handle them without much pain, but it's near impossible for the body to break it down due to the enzyme inhibitor and phytates. However by sprouting (sometimes soaking isn't enough to completely deactivate the harmful elements) I found I could eat 6 cups a day with no issues. Also you could ferment them and make seed cheese and dips if you're into that kinda thing.

l]


hey... maybe in about 6 years i'll try the sprouting on it! lol
i seriously don't think soaking them will do it. i can eat every other seed and nut cooked/unsoaked ... and raw soaked or not.
but yes... maybe in 6 years i'll try raw pumkin seeds :)
i haven't tried the meat raw yet... i think i'd be fine, though.

[Swoss]

I used to get horrible pressure headaches whenever I ate anything containing monosodium glutamate.
Today, I bought a bag of raw pumpkins seeds. Within ten minutes of eating perhaps a quartercupful, I began to develop a frontal headache and pressure around the eye sockets. I went online to see what I could find on pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds contain glutamate. (Not monosodium glutamate, but glutamate.) I wonder if this is what caused my headache. I do remember getting a similar reaction a few years ago from squash seeds which roasted in the oven before eating. Not sure if they, too, contain glutamate. Have not yet checked.

[Non]

yea I read pumpkin seeds can have e.coli so I soak them in a vinegar solution for 10 mins before I leave them to soak overnight and redry them.

[sprouts2go]

Could you have had an attack of diverticulitis? Seeds and nuts can sneak into pockets in the intestines and cause issues. Google it. I love pears but everytime I eat them the pear granules give me an attack. Funny I can eat seeds and nuts no issues. I can have pears juiced but can't eat them.

[streetsurfer]

pumpkin seeds are insoluble fiber and should be eaten in smaller quantities than soluble fiber and best after soluble fiber has been ingested, not on an empty stomach. Insoluble fiber is not broken down or digested by the body but it serves it's purpose to help push waste through and clean the intestines. It needs to be taken with soluble fiber for optimal effect and health. If you have IBS, all the more critical. Your headache and ill feeling may have been the result of how they were eaten, not so much that they were eaten. As they scrubbed waste clean it may have been toxins in the waste they removed that caused the symptoms, not the seeds themselves.

Since you say the reaction was almost immediate, I'd be looking at possibility of an allergy or else be examining what I'd eaten the meal or two prior instead.

[maryfrances33]

OMG I am so fortunate to have come across this blog- I am so awake and in pain after eating pumpkin seeds also- Hulled but not soaked. My liver is aching and I am flabbergasted by my bodies response to them. This is so bizarre...I thank the heavens for the internet and all of your responses. I just took a charcoal pill to help move this along..and make the expelling of gas less painful. Oy~And what a pity- but those babies are going straight into the recycling bin tomorrow!

[Non]

im sorry.

Pumpkin seeds are often ridden with E.Coli according to a source I read from. One must soak them and decontaminate them. Also, I believe people can be quite sensitive to them.

The Austrian pumpkin seeds are the best ones... I think one still has to be careful with those but they are of higher quality.