7 Health Problems Eating More Pumpkin Will Prevent
It turns out that eating pumpkin-everything can help you stave off health problems in the future. Both men and women should jump on the bandwagon since research shows that eating pumpkin can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Pumpkins are full of vitamins and antioxidants that help everything from your eyes to your heart.
Pumpkin spice is also beneficial because it is a mix of other healthy spices that contain great elements for you body. The combination of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, with the pumpkin, packs a seriously healthy punch.
1. Trim Your Waistline
Pumpkin is nutrient dense food, so for all the nutrients and vitamins you get, you don't have to worry about the caloric impact. With a low calorie diet, it is important to get as many vitamins and minerals as you can. So pumpkin can help you stay on a low calorie diet and still get all the good stuff your body needs.
Pumpkin seeds will keep you from eating too much turkey this season. Packed with 1.7 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per tablespoon serving, they will keep you fuller longer since fiber slows digestion and protein tells your body to stop eating. Roast the seeds and sprinkle them on salads or eat them plain.
2. Boost Vision
Consuming pumpkin in any of its many forms is great for your eyes. A cup of cubed up pumpkin contains two times the recommended daily dose of vitamin A, which promotes good vision. It also provides the eyes with Lutein and zeaxanthin--two ingredients beneficial to maintaining eye health.
It also has been shown by Harvard researchers to slow the decline of retinal function in people with retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative disease that can cause blindness). The combination of vitamin A and lutein, along with zeaxanthin, may prolong vision in people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa.
The study found that individuals with retinitis pigmentosa who took daily supplements of vitamin A (15,000 IU) and lutein (12 mg) had a slower loss of peripheral vision than those who did not take the combined supplements.
Forget carrots. Eat more pumpkin!
3. Lower Blood Pressure
Pumpkin seeds have a great amount of potassium and magnesium which help regulate, lower blood pressure, and monitor health problems. Each ounce of pumpkin seeds provide 223 mg of potassium and 156mg, or 39% of the daily value, per serving.
Pumpkin seed oil also has phytoestrogens and phytosterols, which have been shown to prevent and reduce hypertension and decrease the absorption of cholesterol. The naturally occurring hormones are beneficial for heart health and the reduction in cardiovascular disease.
Zinc is another beneficial mineral that prevents onset of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. The combination of these vitamins, minerals, and hormones safe guards your heart from disease and aortic hardening.
4. Protect Prostate
Eating pumpkin is good for your prostate and can reduce your risks for different types of cancer--mainly leukemia and prostate cancer. Along with the sterols, pumpkins also contain beta-carotenes that are powerful antioxidants that can convert to Vitamin A in the body and fight cancer.
Beta-carotene is also an immune booster which aids in the fight against cancer and breaks down into an antioxidant that eliminates free radicals in the body. The powerful antioxidant has been shown to fight off prostate cancer and also prevent colon cancer.
5. Anti-inflammatory
Pumpkin can also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent, reducing swelling and promoting a healthy body.
The beta-carotene and beta-crytoxanthin present in pumpkin act as anti-inflammatory agents by repairing skin damaged by over exposure to the Sun, and the alpha-carotene present acts to reduce the growth of tumors.
Check out this recipe for Chili Pumpkin Soup to take advantage of these health benefits this Halloween! If the soup isn’t your thing, here’s another recipe for Anti-Inflammatory Pumpkin Treats.
They help toothaches, sore throats and also have some antimicrobial agent that can kill E-coli.
6. Good for the Skin
The cells in your skin are constantly reproducing, and the enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids found in Pumpkin work to increase the rate that your cells duplicate, resulting in smoother skin.
They also contain Vitamin A and C that soften skin by increasing the production of collagen to prevent aging.
Pumpkin seeds are also beneficial for your health as they’re rich in fatty acids and Vitamin E, both of which support a strong skin barrier and regulate sebum, reducing oily skin.
Topically applied, pumpkin can penetrate deeper due to its small molecular structure, further reducing signs of aging and maintaining proper skin pigmentation.
7. Good for the Stomach
If you’ve got 99 health problems and intestinal issues are all of them, check this out.
Pumpkins contain soluble fiber, which absorbs water from your digestive tract, slowing the digestive process. In fact, each cup of canned pumpkin contains 7g of dietary fiber!
Pumpkin is also a great solution to any diarrheal issues you may be facing. Diarrhea can cause the body to rapidly lose vital potassium, resulting in hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the bloodstream). Hypokalemia, left untreated, can cause the development of an abnormal heart rhythm, muscle weakness, myalgia, muscle cramps, tremors, and constipation.
One cup of pumpkin contains 505 mg of potassium to replenish your losses.
So this fall season, drink and eat all the pumpkin you want. Make smoothies, sprinkle your salads with the seeds, and be sure to drink pumpkin spice coffee.
Check out our pumpkin favorites below:
Starbucks VIA®, Ready Brew, Pumpkin Spice Latte
Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin, 29 Oz
Quaker Pumpkin Spice Limited Edition Instant Oatmeal 8 Ct, 1.51 oz Packets (Pack of 2)
Amoretti Premium Pumpkin Syrups 50ml 3 Pack
