7 Surprising Benefits That You Will Notice When Consuming More Pumpkin

Pumpkin is more than just a vegetable to empty inside to use on Halloween. Nutrition experts know that it is an essential food that we should consume much more.

Pumpkin is delicious in natural juices, cold creams, healthy cakes and even as a condiment in many of our dishes.

Likewise, vegans have pumpkin one of the key pieces of their diet. It is worth taking it into account, making use of the imagination and consuming it in the way that we like the most.

Next, we explain everything it can do for you.

7 surprising benefits of pumpkin

1. The pumpkin, more nutritious than we think

There are many types of pumpkins: the Butternut or peanut , the Butternut squash of Provence  or the most classic for preparing desserts, known as  angel hair.

Now, pumpkin is more than just water, pulp and fiber.

• A cup of cooked pumpkin (about 200 grams) can provide us with 20% of the daily value of vitamin C, 10% or more of vitamin E, and 5% of vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus .

• In addition, pumpkin is one of the best known sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that offers that characteristic orange hue, and that in our body is converted into vitamin A.

2. Helps reduce blood pressure

Indeed, pumpkin is rich in magnesium. In this sense, it is associated with the reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive people. In addition, its content of vitamin C, fiber and potassium will help us reduce hypertension.

3. Pumpkin helps us lose weight

In a cup of fresh pumpkin you will find only 49 calories. Thanks to the water and the fiber, we are going to achieve an adequate feeling of satiety.

An original and healthy way to lose weight is to eat apple and pumpkin purees throughout the week. You can include this option in your dinners with some protein (a little turkey breast, for example), and in this way you will be able to improve your line.

4. Protects us against cancer

If we maintain a diet rich in carrots and pumpkins, we will be helping to prevent certain types of cancer. We must know that there are no miraculous products, of course, but a good diet and adequate lifestyle habits are always a guarantee of better health.

Pumpkin, especially its seeds, is rich in antioxidants and phytoestrogens that can help prevent breast cancer.

5. Pumpkin seeds, very relaxing

Every time you prepare a pumpkin recipe, don’t throw away its seeds. They are incredibly rich in tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to serotonin. This neurotransmitter is the one that favors adequate rest. For this reason, consuming pumpkin seeds is associated with better sleep.

6. Take care of your immune system

There is nothing better than maintaining a varied and balanced diet. Something as simple as having a cup of baked pumpkin with walnuts for breakfast, for example, can strengthen our defenses.

In turn, a delicious and healthy recipe with which to lose weight and increase our reserves of vitamin C is pumpkin and ginger soup, which we can prepare for dinner.

A cup of cooked pumpkin contains about 20 milligrams of vitamin C (a day, we need about 60 milligrams), so we already have part of it covered.

7. Goodbye to constipation

People suffering from chronic constipation should introduce vegetables such as pumpkin, asparagus, carrots, artichokes or chard into their diet.

The contribution of water and fiber of the pumpkin favors the intestinal transit. In addition, it improves our digestions. To benefit from it, remember that it will always be better to consume it as naturally as possible.

• You can cook it or prepare it in the oven, but do not add sugar. If you combine it, for example, with a little cinnamon, you will enjoy a sensational combination.

To conclude, it is not at all about following a strict diet based on antioxidant-rich vegetables such as pumpkin. It is only a matter of maintaining a varied diet.

Don’t exclude protein from lean meats from your diet, as well as fiber from cereals and healthy fats from olive oil or avocado.

Pumpkin, meanwhile, is a very healthy vegetable that we can cook in incredible ways. Enjoy it in creams, soups, smoothies …