Health Benefits of Pumpkin

November 12, 2015

Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. Though this humble backyard vegetable is less in calories, nonetheless, it carries vitamin A, and flavonoids poly phenolic antioxidants such as Lutein, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.

Low in calories, rich in minerals

Its easily digestible “meat” contains few calories, eventually 28 to 100 grams. Quite the opposite of calorific poverty in yellow, orange fruit has a multitude of vitamins and minerals. Potassium as the most important nutrient for the heart, phosphorus and calcium, which together operate in building of bones and teeth, iron is important for your blood, and manganese which keeps skin and cartilage health.

Boost Your Sex Life

Pumpkin seeds provide a good dose of zinc (one-quarter cup contains almost 17 percent of your daily need). The mineral appears to play a role in men's sexual health, including fertility, potency, and sex drive, according to Discovery Fit and Health.

Blood pressure

Eating pumpkin is good for the heart! The fiber, potassium and vitamin C content in pumpkin all support heart health. Consuming adequate potassium is almost as important as decreasing sodium intake for treatment of hypertension (high-blood pressure).

Other foods that are high in potassium include cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes, oranges, spinach and bananas. Increased potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.

Treat Intestinal Worms

Pumpkin seeds can also help your body get rid of nasty gut parasites that can make you sick, according to registered pharmacist Debbie Edson in Living. They have traditionally been used for this purpose by Native Americans; even today, pumpkin seeds are used to treat tapeworms in some parts of Africa.

Pumpkin for problematic skin

Folk medicine says that pumpkin does well to our body from the outside as well as from the inside. Fresh pumpkin puree is ideal as a face mask and in just ten minutes it cleans skin and constricts pores. It is ideal for acne prone skin, whiteheads and blackheads, so lately pumpkin emerges as a major component of problematic skin creams.

Fertility

For women of child-bearing age, consuming more iron from plant sources such as spinach, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and beets appear to promote fertility, according Harvard Medical School's Harvard Health Publications. The vitamin A in pumpkin (consumed as beta-carotene then converted to vitamin A in the body) is also essential during pregnancy and lactation for hormone synthesis.

Soothes and improves sleep

Pumpkin will provide you many benefits, either consumed raw (graded like carrots), steam cooked or baked in the oven.

Pumpkin calms anxiety and improves sleep thanks to B complex vitamins. It’s fantastic nutritional profile complement pectin, cellulose and other important fiber for good digestion. This delicious fruit, due to the previously mentioned benefits is excellent for children.

Boost Vision

A cup of cubed pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light, according to the National Institutes of Health. It has also been found to slow the decline of retinal function in those with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that can lead to blindness, according to researchers from Harvard. Bonus: Vitamin A also helps form and maintains healthy skin, teeth and bones.

Pumpkin Seeds

For those who do not consume pumpkin, the recommended solution comes in the shape of pumpkin. Besides gorgeous fun, seeds are an excellent source of protein, depending on the type of pumpkin, seeds contain up to 31 percent proteins.

So a handful of pumpkin seeds satisfy the daily supply of amino acids, and by consuming pumpkin seeds we get omega-3 fatty acids good for the heart, vision and mood.

Pumpkin oil

Another product made by “Autumn Queen” attracts the attention of medics and gourmands, and that is pumpkin oil containing a large percentage of beta carotene, vitamin E and potassium. Only one spoon of pumpkin oil is enough for a fantastic taste of the salad.