Health benefits of Egusi

- Author, Abubakar Maccido
- Role, Reporter
- Reporting from, Kano
13 September 2025
Read am in 4 mins

Egusi na di soft white seed wey dey inside one special kind of melon (na one type of small watermelon). No be di sweet watermelon wey we dey chop as fruit - dem dey mainly grow dis one for im seed, no be for di flesh.

Egusi na food wey pipo dey chop well-well for West Africa, especially for Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon.

E popular pass for making Egusi soup, one thick and sweet soup wey dem dey cook wit vegetable, meat, and palm oil.

Dem dey dry di seed, remove di shell, and grind am into powder. Di powder dey enter stew, dem dey add am to porridge, or use am as sauce thickener.

Kano-based dietitian Ibrahim Abdulsalam Bichi tell BBC News Pidgin say egusi no be only sweet soup ingredient. Bichi say Egusi fit help many part of bodi.

"Egusi pass just sweet soup ingredient - na seed wey get plenty nutrition wey dey support many part of body.

"E dey also enta some local snacks and baby food wey dey support pikin growth," e tok.

Health benefits of Egusi

E dey build muscles and repair di bodi: Egusi full wit protein (na nutrient wey your bodi need to build and repair muscles, tissues, and cells. E important for growth, energy, and to stay healthy), especially di kain one wey get all di important building blocks (dem dey call am amino acids). Dis one dey help pikin grow wel. Muscles go rest afta work or exercise, di bodi go repair tissues like skin, blood, and organs.

E dey give lasting energy: Egusi get healthy fats and natural carbs wey dey provide long-lasting energy and help your bodi absorb vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

E dey support heart health: Most fats wey dey Egusi na unsaturated fats (like linoleic and oleic acid), wey dey help reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), increase good cholesterol (HDL) and lower di risk of heart disease.

E dey help digestion: Egusi get fibre, wey dey help digestion, stop constipation and feed good bacteria wey dey your belle.

E dey strengthen immune system: Egusi get zinc, vitamin C , and B-vitamins, wey dey help di bodi fight sickness, heal wounds quick and support correct development for children.

E dey build strong bones and teeth: Wit calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, Egusi dey keep bones strong, support teeth health and stop bone weakness as pesin dey old.

E dey support healthy skin and hair: Sake of vitamin E and healthy oils, Egusi dey keep skin soft and make am shine, dey help repair skin wey don spoil and make hair strong and stop dryness.

E fit help manage blood sugar: Egusi get low glycaemic index, meaning say e no dey raise blood sugar quick and e fit help pipo wey get diabetes manage dia sugar well.

E dey reduce inflammation and pain: Egusi get antioxidants and natural plant chemicals wey dey help reduce bodi swelling or joint pain and fit help pipo wey get arthritis (swelling and pain for joints wey dey make movement hard and dey pain).

E dey protect di liver: Egusi vitamin E and oda antioxidants dey help liver fight stress and bad chemicals, make liver stay healthy and do im work beta (like clean blood).

Nutritional content of Egusi (per 100g dry seeds)

Calories: ≈ 583 kcal

Protein: 28–35 g (complete amino acids)

Fat: 47–50 g (≈78% unsaturated)

Carbohydrates: 9–19 g

Fibre: 2–23 g

Vitamins: A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C, E (alpha-tocopherol)

Minerals: Iron: up to 57.5 mg, Zinc: 9.9–12.3 mg, Magnesium: 822–905 mg, Calcium: 172–190 mg Potassium: 1,220–1,326 mg and Phosphorus: 1,742–1,838 mg.

Implications wen you consume too much of Egusi

E get plenty calories: If you chop am too much, e fit make you add weight.

E fit affect di kidneys: Egusi get somtin wey dem dey call oxalates, wey fit cause kidney stones if pesin chop am too much, especially for pipo wey get kidney wahala.