- Health benefits of pumpkin
- 1- Prevents cancer
- 2- Healthy stomach from pumpkin, happy heart
- 3- It is highly nutritious
- 4- Protects the prostate
- 5- Improves the condition of the skin
- 6- It is a natural anti-inflammatory
- 7- Improves vision
- 8- Helps to lose weight
- 9- Prevents diabetes
- 10- A necessary culinary alternative
- References
The benefits of pumpkin for health are numerous: it prevents cancer, improves cardiovascular health, benefits the prostate, improves the condition of the skin, is a natural anti-inflammatory, improves vision and others that I will explain below.
The pumpkin, also known as pumpkin, is a fruit extracted from the cucurbit plant. There are many species, some more orange and others a bit greener, but they all share similar nutritional qualities.
The function of this article will be to become a guide that you can use to inform yourself of all the help that the pumpkin can give you; how it can help you maintain good health and recommendations when ingesting it.
Health benefits of pumpkin
1- Prevents cancer
Pumpkin, thanks to its properties that protect against pollution, chemical agents and other toxins that are harmful to health, help prevent the expansion of cancer cells.
Cambridge studies corroborate this preventive property of squash, it has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic nutrients.
According to this research, the medicinal qualities of pumpkin lie in its alkaloids, flavonoids and its acids.
2- Healthy stomach from pumpkin, happy heart
Another health benefit of squash is its help to strengthen your heart. Pumpkin contains zero cholesterol and its fat levels are very low, which is why its consumption reduces the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
With its high content of magnesium, it also helps prevent heart attacks and strokes.
3- It is highly nutritious
As we mentioned above, squash helps prevent cancer by preventing cell aging and cell damage. It is also a perfect food if you want to lose weight.
Pumpkin contains vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, beta carotene, fiber, folate, copper, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
The nutrients in squash make the body better absorb glucose and carbohydrates, which also allow fats to be processed properly.
Studies analyzed a type of pumpkin that grows in southeastern Brazil, and determined that this plant is one of the plants that contains the highest amount of provitamin A in the world. This demonstrates the great antioxidant benefit of squash.
4- Protects the prostate
Pumpkin seeds also have an important contribution to health care. Problems that men should worry about in their adulthood, are diseases and conditions of the prostate, and for this, pumpkin seed oil offers an excellent solution.
The transformation of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone is what scientists explain as the recognizable cause of prostate cancer. The specific nutrient in squash called phytosterol protects and prevents this conversion thanks to the secretion of natural chemicals in the male body.
5- Improves the condition of the skin
In many aesthetic centers, the pulp of squash and the oil of its seeds are used to apply facial masks that help the skin. The multiple nutrients of this plant enrich the skin, leaving it softer and smoother.
The reason for this practice would be, specifically, its high percentage of vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as the zinc content inherent in pumpkin.
These masks help reduce facial oil, treat dry skin, help treat acne and blemishes, and slow down the aging of the facial skin.
This fruit also consists of free radical neutralizers, which would prevent skin cancer and help to get rid of wrinkles. Added to this point, the pumpkin works as a natural sunscreen.
6- It is a natural anti-inflammatory
Pumpkin is one of the main natural anti-inflammatories, thanks to this property it can be used in diseases that affect the joints and tendons.
The beta-carotene content of squash can be found both inside and in its seeds.
Animal studies have shown that pumpkin seed oil controls arthritis pain, and that it works in a similar way to the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin to treat arthritis. However, in the case of seed oil there were no side effects, an argument that enhances the consumption of this beneficial food.
7- Improves vision
The vitamin A contained in squash helps to maintain the health of the eyes, helping the retina (the tissue that covers the back of the eyes) to locate the presence of light.
This means that this fruit helps to sharpen eyesight, helping to recognize dim lights. Along with this, the vitamin A in squash protects and blocks sunlight.
A study published by the journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that consuming foods such as pumpkin helps to face eye problems such as cataracts.
8- Helps to lose weight
The fiber provided by squash can help you if you need to lose weight.
Its high percentage of fiber is demonstrated without objection, since each serving of pumpkin has at least 3 grams of fiber.
If you like to play sports, it is essential that you know that squash is a food high in potassium. It even contains more potassium than the same banana, 442 and 564 respectively.
9- Prevents diabetes
The consumption of pumpkin would restore insulin levels, which would lead to a decrease in the necessary doses in injections in patients.
10- A necessary culinary alternative
Whether you like it as a salad or in a prepared dish, squash is a star of many menus. For example: the Italian pumpkin or the pumpkin stew.
If you are on a diet, squash is an ideal food. It is made up of 90% water, which means that it is a food with few calories and that helps hydration.
References
- Mukesh Yadav, Shalini Jain, Radha Tomar. (2010). Medicinal and biological potential of pumpkin: an updated review. 11/26/2016, from Nutrition Research Reviews.
- Lydia A. BazzanoMary K. SerdulaSimin Liu. (2003). Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and risk of cardiovascular disease. 11/26/2016, from Current Atherosclerosis Reports.
- Arima HK, Rodríguez-Amaya DB. (1990). Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value of a squash and a pumpkin from northeastern Brazil. 11/26/2016, from Europe PMC.
- Gossell-Williams, A. Davis, and N. O'Connor. (2006). Inhibition of Testosterone-Induced Hyperplasia of the Prostate of Sprague-Dawley Rats by Pumpkin Seed Oil. 11/26/2016, from the Journal of Medicinal Food.
- Atef T. Fahim, Amal A. Abd-El Fattah, Azza M. Agha, Mohamed Z. Gad. (2003). Effect of pumpkin-seed oil on the level of free radical scavengers induced during adjuvant-arthritis in rats. 11/26/2016, from Pharmacological Research.
- MARY ANN S VAN DUYN,, ELIZABETH PIVONKA. (2010). Overview of the Health Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption for the Dietetics Professional. 11/26/2016, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Tao Xia, Qin Wang. (2007). Hypoglycaemic role of Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae) fruit extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. 11/26/2016, from Science of food and Agriculture.