In scientific tests, pumpkin has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and increase the amount of insulin the body produces, they comment on WebMD.
Pumpkin is considered a food that benefits those who want to lose weight since it is low in calories; in Healthline, they indicate that they have less than 50 calories per cup (245 grams), and approximately 94% is water.
Pumpkin seeds also have benefits, as they are a good source of minerals and vitamins, “with 30 grams of protein, 110% of the daily value in iron and 559 calories, but without cholesterol, excellent for cardiovascular health”, they say on Dr. Mercola’s site.
They also contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which, once in the brain, becomes a nutrient that relaxes the body, calms the nerves, improves sleep, and transmits signals between neurons.
The pumpkin of Castile is easy to use; its sweet flavor combines with preparations such as custards, cakes, and pies, although it also works in savory dishes such as roasted vegetables, soups, creams, and pasta.
Do you like pumpkin, or do you usually cook with it? At Home Kitchen, we like to share the properties, benefits, and contraindications of eating and cooking with certain foods that are becoming fashionable to bring a healthy meal. In this article, we are going to talk about the characteristics of the pumpkin.
What is a pumpkin?
Different pumpkins
To begin with, it must be said that the pumpkin has many different shapes and colors. It is a lovely vegetable known worldwide as an orange pumpkin for use in decoration for Halloween dates. But also being a great source of vitamins, fiber, low in calories, and having great versatility, many people incorporate it into their diet to make delicious dishes.
Nutritional properties
Pumpkin inside
Pumpkin is very rich in water, and it is made up of 90% of it. At the same time, the levels of calories and carbohydrates are inversely proportional to the fiber level. That is, it has very few calories and carbohydrates and a lot of fiber. Per 100 grams of edible portion, the pumpkin can provide you with 28.37 calories. In addition, the fact that it is made up mostly of water is super beneficial to fight kidney stones, but we will see it.
As for vitamins, pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamins A, B (including folic acid), C, and E. About 100 grams of pumpkin provide the body with half of the vitamin A it needs.
Pumpkin is very rich in minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Other types of nutrients that pumpkin has are, for example, linoleic, aspartic, oligo, and palmitic acid; coumarins (antioxidants), lycopene, amino acids, and beta carotenes. The latter are the ones that give it the characteristic orange color, as in the carrot. In addition, it has a very high level of fatty acids (Omega 3) present.
Profits
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin has many benefits for the body that is not generally talked about.
Effective against hypertension
Pumpkin is a crucial food in the diet of those who suffer from hypertension because it has a shallow sodium level. In addition, it is a good “treatment,” but thanks to the potassium it contains, pumpkin is good for preventing this disease. Potassium helps keep blood pressure regulated.
Good for the stomach
This food is very good for stomach diseases such as gastritis, ulcers, heartburn, or slow digestion. Pumpkin has a substance called mucilage that is also found in other foods such as chia or algae. This substance is responsible for increasing the generation of the gastric mucosa. That is, they help the stomach to be more protected.
It helps to lose weight.
Being such a versatile food and so low in calories, it can be ideally included in the diets of those who want to lose weight and lose weight. With all the nutrients it has, it is a food that provides a lot of satiety and allows you to continue the weight loss process without starving.
Protect skin and eyes
Vitamin A is reputed to be good for your eyesight. We have all heard that carrots improve vision, and pumpkin is not far behind.
Prevents fluid retention
The potassium present in the pumpkin helps the body in the production and expulsion of urine, with which many toxins stored in the body are expelled.
Antioxidant
The color of the vegetables says a lot about them. The more intense the color, the more antioxidant nutrients they will have. These antioxidants slow down aging in your body.
Cells and improve your immune system.
Prevents diabetes
The disease of people with diabetes makes them eat a strict diet without too many carbohydrates because they cannot convert them into glucose. For this reason, pumpkin is great for them, as it has hardly any carbohydrates but a lot of fiber.
Kidneys in perfect condition
The benefit of preventing fluid retention derives from having kidneys in perfect condition. This is due to the diuretic and purifying properties of pumpkin due to the high level of fiber.
Eliminates parasites from the intestine
Pumpkins and their pipes have always been used to eliminate those parasites from the intestine, such as simple worms.
The only contraindications of pumpkin are not even against pumpkin, but against its seeds. Like all food, if we eat it in too high quantities and abusing them, in the end, it has consequences. As they contain so much fiber, Pumpkin seeds can cause indigestion due to their heaviness and diarrhea due to excess fiber.
Plus, now that allergy screening is on the rise, pumpkin seeds aren’t far behind. There have been cases of people who have had allergies, and this is an impediment when it comes to consuming them and cooking with pumpkin.
The last contraindication is that, although pumpkin has few calories, its seeds have a higher level, and an abusive intake can lead to weight gain.
Recipe ideas
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin cream
Cream of pumpkin is simply a soup whose main ingredient is pumpkin, and you can mix it with a lot of other ingredients: tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken or vegetable broth, etc.
Roasted pumpkin
Roasted squash is excellent as an accompaniment to the main dish. Add a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake. And it is delicious.
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is a typical dessert in the United States, usually prepared on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It has sugar, eggs, flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. And you can decorate it once it’s made with apricot jam, for example.
With all this information about pumpkin, we can be sure to include it in our healthy daily diet. Don’t forget to share it on your social networks so that friends and family can also benefit from this nutritious ingredient.