Do you have an afternoon slump? We’ll tell you why pumpkin seeds can help you better against slackness than a cup of coffee.

After eating during the lunch break, tiredness quickly sets in in the office. Our eyes hardly want to stay open and the midday slump hits us between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. This is mainly due to the fact that our body needs a lot of energy after a meal to digest the food. As a result, oxygen-rich blood flows into the abdomen and not as much into the brain. In addition, we don’t move that much in the office and we rarely get to go for a stimulating and refreshing walk after a meal. In this case, coffee is the solution to the problem for many people. The caffeine contained in the aromatic hot drink takes effect after about 30 minutes and is distributed through the blood throughout our body. It also crosses the blood-brain barrier. The tiring messenger substance adenosine is blocked and the nerve tracts do not receive a signal to slow down and instead simply continue to work. Sounds good? But regular caffeine consumption quickly leads to habituation and the effect decreases considerably. In addition, coffee never replaces sufficient sleep. So what to do?

Pumpkin seeds: That’s why they work against tiredness

If you don’t necessarily want to grab a coffee during a midday slump, you definitely have a very healthy and delicious alternative: pumpkin seeds. They help in many ways. For one, they improve dompamine uptake. The messenger substance controls the emotional, mental and motor reactions. It is therefore also called the “lucky messenger”. On the other hand, the cores contain a lot of magnesium. This keeps our blood sugar stable so that it cannot drop and cause a midday slump.

These ingredients of the seeds help us against tiredness without caffeine. In addition, the kernels generally contain many essential trace elements, vitamins and nutrients. They keep you full for a long time and provide the body with healthy fats.

Pregnant women in particular benefit from the activating and revitalizing effect of the seeds. Since caffeine consumption can also affect the growth of the child, pregnant women should consume as little coffee as possible. It therefore makes sense to reach for pumpkin seeds, which also provide the body with valuable ingredients.

Conclusion

So if you want to drink less coffee, don’t tolerate it that well or fancy a healthy and invigorating snack, you should include pumpkin seeds in your lunch in the future. No matter whether pure, in a salad or in yoghurt, the small seeds cut a fine figure everywhere!