Pumpkin Seed

Cucurbita pepo · Pumpkin seed oil · Pumpkin seed extract

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms^{1, 2} Overactive bladder³ Androgenetic alopecia^{4, 5} Female urinary incontinence^{6, 7} Postmenopausal high-density lipoprotein cholesterol⁸	Pumpkin seed allergy⁹ Under 18 years³ Pregnancy or nursing¹⁰

Pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo) covers the seeds and the oil and extracts made from them, which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and phytosterols¹¹. It is used through androgen-pathway effects for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or overactive bladder³, for hair density in androgenetic alopecia, and for urinary incontinence in women. It is also taken for lipids in postmenopausal women. The typical patient is a man with mild-to-moderate LUTS who wants to avoid the side effects of synthetic medication¹².

In BPH, a randomized trial found the oil relieved symptoms but less than tamsulosin, and a noninterventional study of a soft extract found symptom relief with sexual function maintained. For hair, a network meta-analysis found the oil improved hair density over placebo⁴. A 2025 narrative review of herbal remedies for hair loss, limited by small samples and short follow-up, included pumpkin seed oil among agents with possible benefit¹³. Products are mostly softgel capsules of the oil, plus seed, extract, and liquid forms; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is allergy: pumpkin seed allergy is IgE-mediated and often causes systemic reactions, with frequent co-allergy to tree nuts and other seeds⁹. The European Medicines Agency monograph, for traditional use, sets use for urinary symptoms after serious conditions are excluded by a medical doctor, and directs patients to a doctor if fever, blood in the urine, or retention occurs³.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

48 sources, 37 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources