Pumpkin is a plump, beautiful orange vegetable and highly nutritious food with juicy pulp and seeds. This vegetable contains proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, pectin, and carotene, there are B vitamins, vitamins A, C, E, K, T. The benefits of pumpkin are also due to the minerals it is rich in – first of all, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron. At the same time, pumpkin seeds are high in fat and protein.
In addition, pumpkin contains a lot of so-called carotenoids, like a carrot. They perform a very important function in the body – they protect the walls of blood vessels from atherosclerosis and the tissues of the body from inflammation and from premature aging. This vegetable also contains a lot of minerals and vitamins that the body needs during the cold and cold seasons.
Pumpkin has long been prized for its many remarkable health benefits. Listed below are just a few of these benefits that may encourage you to include this healthy vegetable in your diet.
Supports Heart Health
Thanks to the content of potassium, magnesium, and iron, pumpkin helps increase the level of good HDL cholesterol and maintain normal blood pressure. In addition, potassium removes excess fluid from the body and reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Eye health protection
Pumpkin contains vitamin A, which is essential for visual acuity and maintains the health of the retina. Pumpkin also contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are thought to help prevent cataracts and slow age-related macular degeneration.
High in Fiber
This vegetable contains a lot of dietary fiber, pectin in particular, which helps remove cholesterol and toxins from the body. Nutritionists say that the increased fiber content improves the health of the digestive system and you will feel full without overeating.
Improves immunity
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, E, iron, and folic acid that strengthen the immune system and help you heal faster. Therefore, during the cold and flu season, this vegetable can be an effective immune-boosting agent. Research published in the journals Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology shows that vitamin A helps strengthen the body’s immune system and helps fight infections.
Reducing the risk of cancer
Specialized studies show that a diet high in beta-carotene reduces the risk of certain cancers, including prostate and lung cancer. Beta-carotene is a provitamin that your body converts into vitamin A. Vitamins A and C are known to be powerful antioxidants that protect the cells from free radicals that cause cancer.
Promotes Skin Health
Thanks to its high content of vitamins A and E, pumpkin helps fight aging, premature skin aging, and wrinkles. Rubbing your face with a piece of raw pumpkin, you can narrow the pores, get rid of acne, get a mattifying effect. Vegetable pulp and juice is an excellent skin toner. In cosmetology, compresses are used from gruel from grated pumpkin or from its juice.
Pumpkin supports youthful and healthy skin. Vitamin C, which is included in its composition, promotes the formation of collagen – a structural element due to which the skin remains firm and elastic for a long time. And lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, and other antioxidants in the vegetable protect the skin from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays.
Aids weight loss
Pumpkin is a low-calorie vegetable, which is why it is often used in a variety of diets. Regular use of this product helps to accelerate metabolism, as a result of which the body absorbs food more easily and digests it. This prevents possible metabolic problems and the accumulation of fats and harmful substances in the body.
Thanks to the low-calorie content, pumpkin dishes can be consumed every day without worrying about gaining extra weight. The high fiber content in this vegetable allows it to be used to cleanse the body.
The benefits of pumpkin seeds
The seeds contain a large number of phytosterols. These compounds are very useful in the case of cardiovascular diseases and have a preventive effect, protecting the body against certain types of cancer.
In addition, the substances contained in the seeds are mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types of lipids, which have a beneficial effect on the heart muscle.
Pumpkin seeds can also help relieve irritating bladder symptoms and urinary problems.
Pumpkin juice
Pumpkin juice has a number of health benefits. This drink has antipyretic, wound healing, antitoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-sclerotic effects on the body. The juice has laxative, diuretic, and choleretic properties. The drink supports metabolism, normalizes the nervous system, and improves sleep quality.
Harm and contraindications
Pumpkin is not recommended for use in severe diabetes mellitus. Raw vegetable juices are contraindicated for ulcers and gastritis (with low acidity). Also, do not include this product in your diet in case of allergy to a vegetable or individual intolerance. The juice is not recommended for use in case of acute gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhea. It is also not recommended for people with severe diabetes mellitus, stomach, and intestinal ulcers, cholecystitis, and hepatitis.
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