The Underrated Oil This RD Uses On All Of Her Meals, Both Sweet & Savory

Ask a foodie their healthy seed oil of choice, and chances are they'll have a few favorites. Some love the strong flavor of sesame oil, while others are more partial to the neutral taste of avocado oil. As for registered dietitian Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN? Safe to say her star oil is far from conventional. Pumpkin seed oil takes the cake in Feller's eyes: "Pumpkin seed oil is one of my absolute favorites," she shares on the mindbodygreen podcast. 

First things first: Pumpkin seed oil doesn't come from your ordinary gourd. It's actually made from the seeds of a specific type of pumpkin found in Austria, called the Styrian pumpkin. And while the oil has made its way stateside, it's long been coined the "Austrian secret," as pumpkin seed oil has been used as traditional medicine in Austria for hundreds of years. 

The health benefits don't disappoint, either: One study found that pumpkin seed oil's anti-inflammatory properties were able to help manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis development1. Another smaller study also found that the oil was associated with increased hair growth2 when participants took a pumpkin seed oil supplement for 24 weeks.

Feller personally uses pumpkin seed oil in two, equally delicious ways: as a salad dressing (the nutty flavor enhances any veggies you decide to toss into the mix) and as a dessert drizzle. "One of my friends takes a full-fat yogurt and pours pumpkin seed oil over it as a dessert," she says. "It is ridiculously good."