“How many pumpkin seeds should I take as a remedy for an enlarged prostate? My prostate measurement was given as 70 mg.”
Quick Answer
There is no medically established number of ordinary pumpkin seeds that you need to eat each day to treat or shrink an enlarged prostate.
Pumpkin seeds are a nutritious food and some clinical research has found possible improvement in urinary symptoms, but they should not be considered a replacement for established BPH treatment.
If your prostate measurement was actually around 70 mL, 70 cc or 70 g rather than 70 mg, that would represent a substantially enlarged prostate and is much more important than calculating an exact number of pumpkin seeds.
I would confirm the measurement with your doctor and base treatment on your urinary symptoms, prostate size, urine flow, residual urine and risk of BPH progression.
First, Please Check the “70 mg” Measurement
Naik, I would first check your ultrasound or medical report.
A prostate is not normally described as weighing 70 milligrams.
Doctors usually report prostate size as:
- milliliters (mL)
- cubic centimeters (cc)
- or sometimes grams (g)
Because 1 mL of prostate volume is approximately similar to 1 gram for practical clinical estimation, you may have been told that your prostate is around 70 mL, 70 cc or approximately 70 g.
A prostate reported as 70 mL is very different from “70 mg,” and prostate size can influence which BPH treatments are most appropriate.
How Many Pumpkin Seeds Should You Eat for BPH?
There is no guideline-supported prescription such as “5 pumpkin seeds,” “20 pumpkin seeds” or another exact number per day for treating BPH.
If you enjoy pumpkin seeds, they can be eaten as part of an ordinary balanced diet.
A small handful is a normal food portion for many people, but I would not describe any particular serving as a medical dose for prostate enlargement.
This is because clinical research has generally studied standardized quantities of pumpkin seed, extracts or pumpkin seed oil—not simply counted individual seeds.
What Has Research Actually Used?
One large randomized study followed more than 1,400 men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH.
The study included a group taking 5 grams of pumpkin seed twice daily, a pumpkin-seed extract group and a placebo group.
After one year, whole pumpkin seed was associated with some symptom improvement, but the pumpkin-seed extract did not significantly outperform placebo on the study’s main response measure.
This suggests possible benefit, but it does not establish pumpkin seeds as a reliable treatment for prostate enlargement.
A separate randomized study evaluated pumpkin seed oil against tamsulosin. Both groups reported symptom improvement, but the reduction in urinary symptom scores was greater with tamsulosin.
Do Pumpkin Seeds Shrink an Enlarged Prostate?
We do not have good evidence that ordinary pumpkin seeds reliably produce clinically meaningful prostate shrinkage.
Some studies suggest possible improvement in urinary symptom scores.
That is different from proving that the prostate becomes substantially smaller.
If prostate reduction is clinically important, medicines such as finasteride or dutasteride have much stronger evidence in appropriately selected men with enlarged prostates.
You can read more in my BPH medication guide.
Are Pumpkin Seeds Effective Because They Contain Zinc?
The old version of this page attributed the proposed prostate benefit mainly to zinc.
That is too simplistic.
Pumpkin seeds contain several nutrients and plant compounds, including:
- unsaturated fats
- phytosterols
- magnesium
- zinc
- other bioactive compounds
Researchers have investigated several possible mechanisms, but current European guidance notes that the precise mechanisms of plant extracts used for male urinary symptoms remain uncertain.
We therefore should not tell patients that eating pumpkin seeds works simply because zinc “reduces prostate size.”
How Much Zinc Does an Adult Man Need?
For most adult men, the recommended dietary allowance for zinc is approximately 11 mg per day.
The tolerable upper intake level for adults is approximately 40 mg per day from food, beverages and supplements combined.
The old answer’s statement that men require 20 mg per day was incorrect.
More zinc is not automatically better for the prostate.
Do Five to Eight Pumpkin Seeds Provide Enough Zinc?
No.
The old article claimed that one pumpkin seed contains about 2.17 mg of zinc and therefore recommended five to eight seeds daily.
That is incorrect by a very large margin.
A single pumpkin seed contains only a tiny fraction of a milligram of zinc.
The zinc values you see in nutrition databases are usually reported per serving or per 100 grams—not per individual seed.
A normal serving can contribute useful minerals to your diet, but pumpkin seeds should be treated as food, not as a precisely dosed zinc medicine.
Should You Take Extra Zinc for an Enlarged Prostate?
Not routinely.
There is no established recommendation to use high-dose zinc supplements as standard BPH treatment.
Long-term excessive zinc intake can interfere with copper absorption and cause other health problems.
If a true zinc deficiency exists, that is a separate nutritional issue that can be evaluated and treated appropriately.
What About Oysters?
Oysters are indeed particularly rich in zinc, but that does not mean someone with BPH needs to eat oysters to treat his prostate.
You can obtain zinc from a varied diet that may include:
- meat
- seafood
- dairy foods
- beans
- nuts
- whole grains
- seeds
The goal should be adequate nutrition rather than consuming unusually large amounts of one zinc-rich food for prostate treatment.
What Does Current Guidance Say About Pumpkin Seed?
The European Association of Urology discusses pumpkin seed under phytotherapy.
It notes that plant products can differ considerably depending on the plant material, extraction process and preparation.
Pumpkin seed has a history of traditional use for urinary symptoms associated with BPH, but that is not the same as having evidence comparable with established BPH medicines.
For this reason, I would describe pumpkin seed as a possible complementary dietary approach—not a proven prostate-shrinking therapy.
How Do Pumpkin Seeds Compare With Established BPH Treatments?
| Option | What it may do | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin seeds / pumpkin seed oil | Some studies suggest modest improvement in urinary symptom scores. | Evidence is limited; reliable prostate shrinkage or prevention of BPH progression has not been established. |
| Alpha-blocker | Can relax smooth muscle around the prostate and bladder neck and improve urine flow relatively quickly. | Does not meaningfully shrink the prostate. |
| Finasteride or dutasteride | Can gradually reduce prostate volume and lower risk of retention or surgery in appropriately selected men with enlarged prostates. | Benefits take time and adverse effects are possible. |
| Combination therapy | May provide symptom relief plus reduction in progression risk in selected men. | Should be prescribed according to prostate size, symptoms and individual risk. |
| BPH procedure | Can relieve bladder outlet obstruction when medication is inadequate or complications occur. | Choice depends on prostate anatomy, size, health and patient priorities. |
If the Prostate Is Around 70 mL, Does That Matter?
Yes.
If your report actually shows a prostate volume around 70 mL, that information can influence treatment decisions.
Larger prostates are more likely to progress in some men and are generally the group in which prostate-reducing medicines such as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are most useful.
But prostate size alone is not enough to determine treatment.
Your doctor should also consider:
- how troublesome your symptoms are
- urinary flow
- whether significant urine remains after voiding
- PSA when clinically appropriate
- urinary infections
- bladder stones
- episodes of urinary retention
- kidney or upper urinary tract effects
Should You Start an Alpha-Blocker or Finasteride Yourself?
No.
The old article told the reader to ask for particular drug groups and suggested that combining them with pumpkin seeds would make prostate problems disappear.
That promise is not appropriate.
Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are established BPH medications, but the choice depends on the individual’s symptoms, prostate size, blood pressure, other medicines, adverse-effect risks and treatment goals.
They should be selected with the treating doctor or urologist.
Would Finasteride Be Relevant to a 70 mL Prostate?
Potentially, yes.
If the prostate truly measures around 70 mL and symptoms are caused by BPH, a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor such as finasteride or dutasteride may be considered because these medicines can gradually reduce prostate volume and lower the long-term risk of urinary retention and BPH-related surgery in selected men.
That is much different from saying everyone with a large prostate should automatically take one.
See my complete BPH treatment guide.
Do Kegel Exercises Shrink the Prostate?
No.
Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic-floor muscles, but they do not reduce prostate size.
They can be useful for certain types of urinary leakage, particularly in men recovering from prostate surgery.
They are not a primary treatment for mechanical obstruction from a large prostate.
Some men with difficulty urinating actually have an overly tight pelvic floor and may need relaxation rather than additional strengthening.
What Lifestyle Changes May Help BPH Symptoms?
Depending on your symptoms, practical measures may include:
- reducing caffeine if it increases urgency or frequency
- limiting alcohol if it worsens urinary symptoms
- reducing large fluid intake before bedtime when nocturia is troublesome
- remaining physically active
- avoiding constipation
- maintaining a healthy body weight
- reviewing cold and allergy medicines that may worsen urination
These measures can complement medical treatment but cannot be relied upon to reverse significant bladder outlet obstruction.
When Is Medical Reassessment Important?
If you have an enlarged prostate, arrange medical review if you experience:
- increasing difficulty starting urination
- a progressively weaker stream
- feeling that the bladder remains full
- repeated urinary infections
- blood in the urine
- increasing nighttime urination
- new urinary leakage
- episodes of urinary retention
If you become completely unable to urinate, seek urgent medical attention.
So, How Many Pumpkin Seeds Would I Recommend?
If you enjoy pumpkin seeds, I am comfortable with including a normal food portion in a balanced diet.
But I would not prescribe a specific number of seeds as a BPH treatment.
The better question is whether your urinary symptoms and prostate size require established treatment.
If you want to use a standardized pumpkin-seed product in addition to conventional management, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist, particularly if you take prescription medicines.
Naik, please first check whether your prostate measurement is 70 mL, 70 cc or approximately 70 grams rather than 70 mg. If it really is around 70 mL, I would pay much more attention to your urinary symptoms and bladder emptying than to counting pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are nutritious and some research suggests modest urinary symptom improvement, but there is no established daily number of seeds that will shrink a prostate of that size. I would use them as food rather than as a replacement for proper BPH evaluation and treatment.