You can’t remember anything else the moment you hear Halloween and Harry Potter, other than “pumpkin,” which is a kind of winter squash that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. In fact, It’s a native of North America and gets popular around Thanksgiving and Halloween festivals, but these days it can be found all over your mind, it’s time to alter all that. Pumpkins are choked to the brim with the goodness of nutrients like vitamins A, B6, and C, magnesium, iron, and potassium. Pumpkin can be found in all 4 corners of the world. In the US, pumpkin is most typically referred to as Cucurbita pepo, an orange-colored winter squash. In other regions, like in Australia, pumpkin is considered to any type of winter squash.
Most usually it is regarded as a vegetable, but scientifically pumpkin is a fruit, as it contains seeds. It is more nutritious and resembles more to the vegetables rather than fruits. It has a delicious taste; pumpkin is nutritious and linked to plenty of health benefits.
Nutritious and rich in vitamin A: Pumpkin has an impressive nutrient profile. If you cook 250 grams of pumpkin in a day, it has
• Calories: 49 • Fat: 0.2 grams
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 12 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin A: 245% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Vitamin C: 19% of the RDI
• Potassium: 16% of the RDI
• Copper: 11% of the RDI
• Manganese: 11% of the RDI
• Vitamin B2: 11% of the RDI
• Vitamin E: 10% of the RDI • Iron: 8% of the RDI
It also has a fair amount of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, folate and around 8 other vitamins. In spite of the fact that it is packed with various vitamins and minerals, pumpkin also contains a very low amount of calories, as it has 94% water. It has an immense amount of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that your body converts into vitamin A. Moreover, pumpkin seeds are edible, nutritious and have enormous health benefits.
Manages the Heart Health: Pumpkins prove to be great for the heart, thanks to its fiber vitamins, and potassium content. When you eat a diet rich in fiber, it helps save the heart from many ailments. Also, a good amount of potassium intake has proven to reduce the risk of a stroke. Presence of magnesium is another reason why one needs to eat pumpkin. It’s a significant mineral that you need to maintain your heart's health. If a tinge of deficiency occurs, it can create harmful changes to the heart. It’s important for the pumping of your heart in a normal condition, for restoring the health of blood vessels, and thus reduces the risk of heart attacks. And all you have to do is just have a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds that are able to meet half the magnesium requirement for the whole day. Pumpkin seeds have also found to reduce LDL aka “bad” cholesterol.
Protects against Cancer: Cancer is a serious disease, which sends a chill down your spine, the moment you hear the word cancer. It happens because cells grow abnormally and continuously leading to death if not treated. Presence of free radicals and oxidative damage caused by them in the body can result in cancer. Pumpkin has an immense amount of carotenoids, which are the compounds that act as antioxidants. This makes them capable of neutralizing free radicals, which can create certain kind of cancers, thus preventing cancer An experiment was conducted on 30 people and it was found that the people who consume more of a diet rich in carotenoids — are responsible for the reduced risks of acquiring stomach cancer. People consuming pumpkins reduced the chances of acquiring throat, pancreas, breast and some other type of cancers.
The reason why pumpkins get their deep orange color is due to the fact that they contain SA pigment known as beta-carotene. But this particular supplement is not just famous for its color. When consumed, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A. Many studies indicate diets rich in beta-carotene and zinc reduce the risk of cancer, especially prostate and lung cancer. So adding pumpkin in your routine diet gives you so many benefits against cancer of many types. It is often consumed to drive away from the chance of colon cancer
Helps in anti-aging: Pumpkins are wonderful for the skin of all types as well. They help in delaying signs of aging (thanks, it contains beta-carotene), increase collagen production, and enhance the glow on the skin. Because of its rich possession of vitamin A and C, it allows the skin to remain soft and smooth looking supple
Pumpkins are packed with nutrients that are great for your skin. In fact, one cup (250 grams) of cooked pumpkin packs contains 245% of the RDI for vitamin A. A well-known fact is carotenoids like beta-carotene can act as a natural sun-block. Once inside the body carotenoids are transported to various organs including your skin. Here, they help save the skin cells against damage from harmful UV rays of the Sun. Pumpkin also has a high amount of vitamin C, which is mandatory for healthy skin. Your body requires this vitamin to make collagen, a protein that keeps your skin strong, flexible and healthy. Pumpkins also contain lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin E and many other antioxidants that have been shown to boost your skin’s defenses against UV rays.
Protect Your Eyesight: It’s quite common for eyesight to reduce with age. Fortunately, eating healthy things like pumpkin can reduce your risk of sight loss. Pumpkin has plenty of nutrients that have been linked to strong eyesight. Research tells us that vitamin A deficiency is a very common reason for blindness.
Scientists have discovered that people with higher intakes of beta-carotene had a significantly lower risk of cataracts, the most common cause for blindness. Pumpkin is also one of the best-known sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, 2 compounds linked to lower risks of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. It contains good amounts of vitamins C and E, which function as antioxidants and may prevent free radicals from damaging your eye cells. It is also a fact that eating a cup of canned and cooked pumpkin can give you 200% of your daily vitamin A., In particular, this vitamin is important for sharper vision, performances are better under dim lights, and also maintain the good health of your eyes. Also, pumpkins chemical components reduce the risk of cataracts and the development of other optical troubles.
Pumpkin also lessens your weight, helps the diabetic people, boosts mood, enhances sleep quality, boosts male libido, reduces the risk of bladder stones, reduces inflammation and enhances the female’s health after menopause. Pumpkin has an immense amount of benefits, but better get the advice of your doctor before you proceed to have a pumpkin.
DR. Vikram Chauhan, MD -AYURVEDA is an expert Ayurvedic practitioner based in Chandigarh, India and doing his practice in Mohali, India. He is spreading the knowledge of Ayurveda Ancient healing treatment, not only in India but also abroad. He is the CEO and Founder of Planet Ayurveda Products, Planet Ayurveda Clinic, and Krishna Herbal Company. For more info visit our website: http://www.planetayurveda.com