Have you started turning food packets over to check the fat line, trying to swap some saturated fat for the unsaturated kind, just as the NHS suggests 3? Then the oil pressed from pumpkin seeds deserves a closer look. The cold-pressed oil in our softgels is 50% linoleic acid, an omega-6 fat, and UK law lets us print one sentence about it, word for word: Linoleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels 1. That sentence is on the UK register because independent scientists at the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the research and the scientific evidence behind it, and accepted it 5. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 10g of linoleic acid.

Then comes the pouch itself, and with it the questions. The front says 3,000mg per serving: is that one softgel or three? How does a cold-pressed oil differ from a seed extract, and which pouch is organic and plant-based? Read on for what each serving holds, how the softgels, the organic LiCaps and the extract compare, and which one fits your day.

At a glance: which pumpkin seed oil is for you?

  • Most oil per serving. Three softgels provide 3,000 mg of cold-pressed oil, including 1,500 mg of linoleic acid.
  • Organic and plant-based. Three Organic LiCaps provide 2,160 mg of cold-pressed, virgin oil in a hypromellose shell.
  • Extract is not oil. One extract capsule contains 500 mg of 15:1 seed extract, equivalent to 7,500 mg of seed.
  • The claim UK rules authorise, for all four oils: Linoleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels.1 The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 10g of linoleic acid.

01 / FIND YOUR FORMAT

Which Pumpkin Seed Oil Is Right for You?

All four oils carry the linoleic acid claim, so the choice comes down to the shell, the certification and the price per serving.

COLD-PRESSED OIL

Pumpkin Seed Oil softgels

3 softgels per daily serving

3 goil per serving
3,000 mg on the label

1,500 mg linoleic acid. The oil is the only ingredient inside a bovine gelatin shell. Available in 90- and 180-softgel packs.

Explore the softgels

CERTIFIED ORGANIC OIL

Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil LiCaps

3 LiCaps per daily serving

2.16 goil per serving
2,160 mg on the label

1,192 mg linoleic acid and 577 mg oleic acid. Cold-pressed oil in a plant-derived hypromellose shell. Available in 60- and 120-LiCap packs.

Explore Organic LiCaps

Amounts compare the labelled daily servings, not one capsule.

Pumpkin seed oil softgels: the most oil per serving

Our Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg softgels hold the most oil: a serving of three gives 3,000mg of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil, including 1,500mg of linoleic acid 4. The oil is the only ingredient inside the bovine gelatin shell, and a 30-serving pouch is £8.99.

Organic pumpkin seed oil in vegan LiCaps

Want something organic and plant-based? Choose the Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil LiCaps: liquid capsules in a hypromellose shell derived from plants, part of our vegan and organic ranges. The oil inside is cold-pressed, virgin and certified organic, and a pouch of 60 LiCaps is £8.99 for 20 servings, or 40 servings in the 120-LiCap pouch for £12.99.

Pumpkin seed oil 180 softgels: the lowest price per serving

The larger pouches work out cheaper per serving. The 180-softgel pouch gives 60 servings for £14.99, about 25p a serving against 30p in the 90-softgel pouch 4. The organic LiCaps follow the same pattern: about 32p a serving in the 120 pouch and 45p in the 60.

Pumpkin seed oil vs pumpkin seed extract

The extract is a concentrated powder, not an oil. Our Pumpkin Seed Extract 7500mg capsules hold 500mg of a 15:1 seed extract, which means 15 parts of seed concentrated into one part of extract, so each capsule equals 7,500mg of seed 4. Each capsule declares 125mg of fatty acids and 50mg of phytosterols, and at £8.99 for 90 capsules it is about 10p a serving.

Dark pumpkin seed oil in a wooden spoon above a glass bowl, beside seeds and cut pumpkin.
Pumpkin seed oil and seeds on a wooden table.

Is there a specific pumpkin seed oil for men?

The oil itself is the same for every adult. Choose by the amount of oil, the shell and the price: the table below puts all five side by side.

Pumpkin seed oil with an omega 3: flaxseed and hemp seed oil

Want an omega-3 in the same routine? Our pumpkin labels declare no omega-3, so pair them with a plant oil that does. Our flaxseed oil softgels declare 1,017mg of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3, with 188mg of linoleic acid in two softgels, and our hemp seed oil softgels declare 1,500mg of omega-6, 450mg of omega-3 and 300mg of omega-9 in three 4.

02 / FROM SEED TO OIL

Cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil: what cold-pressed and virgin mean

Cold-pressed describes how the oil is extracted: the seeds of Cucurbita pepo are pressed mechanically to release their oil, without added heat or chemical solvents. The word is printed on the front of both our softgel and LiCaps pouches.

Virgin means the oil is unrefined, and it is the word in the ingredients list of our organic LiCaps. Both terms point to an oil that is simply pressed and encapsulated, and a 2013 analysis found that the fatty acids in the oil come directly from the seed itself 2.

The seed

Cucurbita pepo pumpkin seeds

Cold-pressed

Mechanical pressing, without added heat

Virgin oil

Unrefined oil in the Organic LiCaps

The shell

Bovine gelatin or plant-derived hypromellose

Pumpkin seed oil sits in our oils range alongside flaxseed, borage and black seed oils, and all five pumpkin seed products sit among our herbal supplements, each made from the seed of Cucurbita pepo.

03 / READ THE LABEL

Pumpkin seed oil label: what is in each serving?

A pumpkin seed oil label is mainly a fatty-acid label. There are no vitamins or minerals with a Nutrient Reference Value, so the numbers that matter are the milligrams of oil and the fatty acids it provides.

SOFTGEL OIL: ONE CAPSULE OR ONE SERVING?1,000 mg = 1 g
1 SOFTGEL1 g

1,000 mg pumpkin seed oil

× 3
3 SOFTGELS3 g

3,000 mg pumpkin seed oil

The pouch-front number is per serving. 3,000 mg ÷ 3 = 1,000 mg of oil in each softgel. For the Organic LiCaps, 2,160 mg ÷ 3 = 720 mg of oil in each capsule.4

Inside the Organic LiCaps serving

Per 3 LiCaps
Pumpkin seed oil
2,160 mg
Linoleic acid
1,192 mgOmega-6
Oleic acid
577 mgOmega-9
Palmitic acid
255 mg
Stearic acid
101 mg

1,192 mg + 577 mg = 1,769 mg omega 6 + 9, the figure on the pouch front. Of the 2,125 mg of fatty acids declared, about 83% are unsaturated.4

Softgel oil

3,000 mg × 50% = 1,500 mg linoleic acid per three-softgel serving.

Seed extract

500 mg × 15 = 7,500 mg seed equivalent. A capsule declares 125 mg fatty acids and 50 mg phytosterols.

Cost per serving

£8.99 ÷ 30 servings ≈ 30p. Divide the pack price by servings, not by capsules.

Linoleic and oleic acid are unsaturated fats, while palmitic and stearic acid are saturated. The NHS notes that unsaturated fats are mostly found in oils from plants and fish, and that omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils 3.

THE TAKEAWAY

Oil, extract and seed equivalent are different measures.
Compare like with like.

04 / COMPARE THE RANGE

How to compare pumpkin seed oil capsules

To find the right one for you, compare our capsules on four things: the oil per serving, the fatty acids declared, the capsule shell and the price per serving. The table puts the five products of our pumpkin seed oil range side by side, with prices correct at the time of writing.

Alpha01 pumpkin seed products: serving, oil or extract, fatty acids, capsule shell and value
Pumpkin seed productDaily serving / shellOil or extract / declared amountsPack / value
Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg 90 softgels3 softgelsBovine gelatin3,000 mg cold-pressed oil1,500 mg linoleic acid£8.99 / 30 servingsAbout 30p per serving
Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg 180 softgels3 softgelsBovine gelatin3,000 mg cold-pressed oil1,500 mg linoleic acid£14.99 / 60 servingsAbout 25p per serving
Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil 60 vegan LiCaps3 LiCapsPlant-derived hypromellose2,160 mg virgin organic oil1,192 mg linoleic · 577 mg oleic · 255 mg palmitic · 101 mg stearic acid£8.99 / 20 servingsAbout 45p per serving
Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil 120 vegan LiCaps3 LiCapsPlant-derived hypromellose2,160 mg virgin organic oil1,192 mg linoleic · 577 mg oleic · 255 mg palmitic · 101 mg stearic acid£12.99 / 40 servingsAbout 32p per serving
Pumpkin Seed Extract 7500mg 90 vegan capsules1 capsulePlant-derived hypromellose500 mg 15:1 seed extract7,500 mg seed equivalent · 125 mg fatty acids · 50 mg phytosterols£8.99 / 90 servingsAbout 10p per serving

Our labels print the amount per serving, the fatty acids and the shell, so you can see exactly what each serving gives you. The 7,500 mg extract figure is a seed equivalent, not 7,500 mg of oil.

Alpha01 Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg 90 softgels pouch with capsules and a glass of water on sunlit stone

COLD-PRESSED PUMPKIN SEED OIL

Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg

3,000 mg oil per three softgels.
1,500 mg linoleic acid per serving.

AVAILABLE SIZES

90 softgels · 30 servings180 softgels · 60 servings
Explore 90 softgels
Alpha01 Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil 120 vegan LiCaps pouch with capsules and a glass of water on sunlit stone

CERTIFIED ORGANIC · PLANT-BASED

Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil

2,160 mg virgin oil per three LiCaps.
Cold-pressed oil in a vegan shell.

AVAILABLE SIZES

60 vegan LiCaps · 20 servings120 vegan LiCaps · 40 servings
Explore 120 LiCaps
Alpha01 Pumpkin Seed Extract 7500mg 90 vegan capsules pouch with capsules and a glass of water on sunlit stone

SEED EXTRACT · NOT AN OIL

Pumpkin Seed Extract 7500mg

500 mg of 15:1 extract per capsule.
Equivalent to 7,500 mg of pumpkin seed.

90 vegan capsules90 servings
Explore the extract

05 / UNDERSTAND THE CLAIMS

Pumpkin Seed Oil Benefits

In the UK a food supplement may carry only the health claims authorised on the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register 1. The register authorises claims for two fatty acids our oils declare: linoleic acid and oleic acid.

Both are unsaturated fats, which is where the NHS advice on fats comes in: “As part of a healthy diet, you should try to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats.” 3

WHAT EACH SERVING GIVES YOU

1,500mg or 1,192mg of linoleic acid.

Three softgels give you 1,500mg of linoleic acid and three Organic LiCaps 1,192mg, as printed on each nutrition panel.4

Linoleic acid: the claim for all four pumpkin seed oils

The claim needs at least 1.5g of linoleic acid per 100g and per 100kcal, and our oils are far above it: the softgel oil is 50% linoleic acid and the LiCaps oil 55% 4. A serving of the softgels gives you 1,500mg towards that daily 10g and a serving of the LiCaps 1,192mg.

Unsaturated fats: a second claim for the organic LiCaps

This claim needs a food high in unsaturated fat, with at least 70% of its fatty acids unsaturated, and the LiCaps panel shows 1,769mg of 2,125mg, which is 83% 4. It is a claim about a swap, so it fits a day in which you choose unsaturated fats in place of saturated ones.

The softgel panel declares linoleic acid only, so the softgels carry the first claim and the LiCaps carry both.

06 / KEEP IT SIMPLE

How to take pumpkin seed oil capsules

The softgel and LiCaps labels both say to take three a day with water, and the extract label one capsule a day with water 4. A serving with water at a time that suits you makes it an easy part of your daily wellbeing routine.

  1. Softgels or Organic LiCaps: three daily

    Follow the label and take with water. The 90- and 180-softgel packs contain 30 and 60 servings; the 60- and 120-LiCap packs contain 20 and 40.

  2. Seed extract: one capsule daily

    One capsule with water provides 500 mg of 15:1 seed extract. A 90-capsule pack contains 90 labelled servings.

  3. Store carefully

    Store the pouch in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight and out of reach of young children.

07 / A LITTLE MORE CLARITY

Pumpkin Seed Oil FAQs

Are pumpkin seed oil softgels vegan?

Our 3000mg softgels use a bovine gelatin shell. For a plant-based capsule, choose the Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil LiCaps or the Pumpkin Seed Extract capsules, both with a hypromellose shell.

How many pumpkin seed oil softgels should I take a day?

The label says three softgels a day with water, which gives 3,000mg of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil and 1,500mg of linoleic acid. A 90-softgel pouch lasts 30 days and the 180-softgel pouch 60.

What is the difference between pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seed extract?

The oil is the fat pressed from the seed, measured by the milligrams of oil in a serving, such as 3,000mg. The extract is a concentrated powder made from the seed: our 500mg of 15:1 extract equals 7,500mg of seed.

Does pumpkin seed oil contain omega-3?

Our labels declare omega-6 (linoleic acid) and, on the LiCaps, omega-9 (oleic acid), but no omega-3. If you want an omega-3 from a plant oil as well, the flaxseed and hemp seed oils above declare it.

Is cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil the same as virgin?

They are related terms. Cold-pressed describes the mechanical pressing without heat, and virgin means the oil is left unrefined after pressing. Both our softgels and LiCaps say cold-pressed on the pouch front, and the organic LiCaps also name the oil as virgin in the ingredients.

Can I take pumpkin seed oil every day?

Yes. Each label gives a daily serving: three softgels, three LiCaps or one extract capsule with water. The products are made for daily use, so just keep to the serving on the label.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication, the labels ask you to consult a doctor before use, and the LiCaps and extract are not intended for children.

Pumpkin seed oil in an ivory dish with a wooden spoon, pumpkin seeds, a water glass, two reddish-amber LiCaps and two golden softgels on travertine
A closer look at what comes from the seed.Illustrative image

GO TO THE SOURCE

Sources & references

Checked against the product labels and the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register, September 2026. Product formulations, prices and guidance can change.

  1. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, GOV.UK (linoleic acid and oleic acid: authorised health claims and their conditions of use). Accessed 2026-09-25. View source
  2. Procida G, Stancher B, Cateni F, Zacchigna M. Chemical composition and functional characterisation of commercial pumpkin seed oil. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2013;93(5):1035-41 / PubMed. View source
  3. Fat: the facts – NHS. Accessed 2026-09-25. View source
  4. Alpha01. Pumpkin Seed Oil 3000mg (90 and 180 Softgels), Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil (60 and 120 LiCaps), Pumpkin Seed Extract 7500mg, Flaxseed Oil 2000mg and Hemp Seed Oil 3000mg: pouch fronts, nutritional information panels, ingredients, suggested use, storage and prices. Label maths by the author. Accessed 2026-09-25. View source
  5. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to linoleic acid and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations (ID 489) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2009;7(10):1276. View source

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