Home remedies are becoming more popular in the time of the pandemic and even after that. And when the information spreads quickly and comes bite-size, people tend to believe it and share it frequently. Anyway, we often find some information false and misleading. Here, we found another claim with a high number of views and shares.
Social Media Claims
A TikTok channel posted a video about the benefits of pumpkin seeds with the claim that “Pumpkin seeds, garlic, and salt naturally kill parasites.”
The video has already gained 10M views, over 400K reactions, and 14K shares.
Apart from the clip, we also found another claim about the benefit of pumpkin seeds from a Facebook group. A Facebook user posted a picture with a similar claim that pumpkin seeds contain “Cucurbitin” that can cleanse worms and parasites out of your body.
Fact Crescendo has investigated this information. We found no connection in remedy or parasites cleanse using pumpkin seeds (with or without salt and garlic). And there are articles and studies that deny such claims and insist that pumpkin seeds can’t be used for cleansing parasites out of the human body.
Fack-Check
The team verified the data by looking for references. We found many websites with similar information, claiming that substances in pumpkin seeds will help eliminate parasites and pathogens from the body. However, we have not found any research or studies confirming that eating pumpkin seeds will help eliminate parasites.
Dr. Amita Gupta, Infectious Disease Specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told USAToday that “Pumpkin seeds contain chemical compounds called Cucurbutin and Cucurbitacin. These compounds are responsible for giving pumpkin seeds a bitter taste and are a plant’s defense against being eaten by animals, according to Science Direct. However, no human clinical trial has shown that pumpkin seeds are an effective treatment for parasites or worms.“
Dr. Gupta also elaborated that the U.S. Pharmacopeia listed pumpkin seeds as an official treatment for parasite elimination from 1863 to 1936 since the Native Americans used it for urinary problems and intestinal issues as traditional folk medicine. However, this was not based on scientific evidence, such as trials in humans or animals.
Moreover, we found another article that concordance with the above explanation, “Pumpkin seeds have no proven direct correlation with killing parasites, but it is rumored the compound inside of these seeds called Cucurbita could help to get rid of parasites, this is just a rumor, however.” according to Punchfood.
In addition, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has also published an article about this claim, “The answer to the question of whether pumpkin seeds help deworm or not is ‘no’ because studies on the anthelmintic effect of pumpkin seeds in humans are insufficient. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that pumpkin seeds help drive all kinds of parasites.”
Despite the false claim about the parasite cleanse, pumpkin seeds have nutritional value that can improve bowel and prostate health, improve sleep, and reduce cancer risk. (Read more here)
Conclusion
The claim that pumpkin seeds contain a substance known as Cucurbitin, which can help get rid of worms and parasites in the body, is FALSE. Experts say that pumpkin seeds are not effective in treating worm or parasitic infections. Such infections can be treated with prescription medications.
Title:Pumpkin Seeds CANNOT Eliminate Parasites in Your Body
Fact Check By: Cielito WangResult: False
