Wondering what to do with the seeds of that pumpkin you just scraped out for Halloween? You may want to consider incorporating a handful of seeds into your diet for added heart health and overall nutrition.

That‘s because seeds and nuts are dense in calories from healthy fats like omega-3, and they provide antioxidants like vitamin E, as well as minerals like selenium, magnesium, and potassium.

“These are all vital for heart health,” says Clinical Dietitian Nutritionist Jean M. Copeland, RDN, LD, who works for Dartmouth Health's Heart and Vascular Center.

Here is how they, along with other seeds and nuts, can contribute to a heart-healthy diet.

Selenium, Potassium, and Magnesium

Many seeds and nuts contain selenium, potassium, and magnesium, which are heart-healthy minerals, says Copeland.

These minerals offer additional benefits.

• Magnesium is involved in over 300 reactions in your body, contributing to a person’s energy production, muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation, and heart rhythm. Magnesium also plays a role in bone structure.
• Potassium is important because your body needs the mineral for almost everything it does, including proper kidney and heart function, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission.
• Selenium is found in selenoproteins, which play a critical role in thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, reproduction, and protection from oxidative damage and infection. It may also reduce the risk of some types of cancer, cardiovascular mortality, and cognitive decline, and help with other health conditions.

Omega-3

Seeds and nuts tend to be high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are essential components of the membranes that surround each cell in your body. Omega-3s also provide calories to give your body energy and are reported to have many functions in your heart, blood vessels, lungs, immune system, and endocrine system (the network of hormone-producing glands).

Vitamin E

Vitamin E, which is also in pumpkin seeds, boosts your immune system so that it can fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It helps to widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting within them.

How pumpkin seeds compare to other nuts and seeds

Set against other nuts and seeds, pumpkin seeds have among the highest amounts of magnesium. They also contain a higher amount of potassium.

But while omega-3 fatty acids are relatively limited and selenium is in the lower range, saturated fat levels in pumpkin seeds are at the higher end.

Because nutrient levels vary, it is important to mix in different nuts and seeds in your overall diet for optimum health benefits, says Copeland.

Keep your portion size small

“In America, we tend to eat a canful of nuts or seeds, while in other parts of the world people eat just a handful,” says Copeland.

One ounce (less than 1/4 cup) daily is all that's needed for your heart. More is not necessarily better because seeds and nuts are high in calories, she says.

The high level of saturated fats contained in many nuts and seeds can also help drive up your so-called “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which may contribute to plaque build-up in your arteries and lead to coronary disease, depending on how healthy your blood vessels are.

Ideas for including seeds and nuts in your daily diet

You can incorporate pumpkin seeds, as well as other seeds and nuts, in all sorts of ways into your daily diet. These include:

• Sprinkle 1/4 cup pumpkin, squash or sunflower seeds on top of soups and salads;
• Cook 1/4 cup pumpkin, squash or sunflower seeds with 1/2 cup oatmeal, cinnamon, honey, and berries;
• Buy a 12 or 16-ounce container of mixed nuts. Buy snack-size plastic baggies. Divide the container of nuts into 12 or 16 baggies. Eat one baggie of seeds or nuts each afternoon as a snack on the way home from school or work;
• Add 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal to thicken soups and stews.