The benefits and harms of pumpkin for the body

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

Many people still associate large orange pumpkin fruits with making decorative candlesticks for Halloween night. But good housewives know that besides this pampering, pumpkin is also a valuable food product. Pumpkin brings benefits and harm to the human body, you need to know this, including dishes from such an interesting vegetable in family meals.

The pumpkin fruit is a berry that grows from ordinary to grandiosely large sizes up to 100 kg, which gets to vegetable exhibitions. Its shape is rounded, of different options, color ranging from yellow to brown, all kinds of combinations and shades. Inside the pumpkin is a seed cavity filled with edible seeds.

Content of nutrients

Summer and winter varieties of pumpkin contain so many medicinal compounds that it defeats many vegetables. All substances contained in it that only benefit a person. There is no harm from this product.

Pumpkin is famous for its rich content:

• sugars;
• carotene;
• vitamins C, B1, B2, B5, B6, E, PP;
• rare vitamins T and K.

Vitamin T regulates metabolism, vitamin K is needed to normalize blood clotting processes.

Of the chemical compounds in pumpkin contains:

• fats;
• proteins;
• carbohydrates;
• cellulose;
• pectin substances;
• many minerals, including important for the body K, Ca, Fe, Mg.

Like all melons and gourds, pumpkin contains a large amount of sodium, phosphorus, sulfur, a large amount of thiamine, riboflavin, pectin. Orange pigment provides such an amount of carotene that pumpkin is the leader among many products.

Ophthalmologists insist on introducing fresh pumpkin juice into the diet for people with vision problems.

The benefits and harms of pumpkin

The introduction of a variety of pumpkin dishes into daily nutrition improves metabolism, strengthens the immune system, and frees the body from toxins. Pumpkin dishes are always included in weight loss programs. In any case, one must remember that pumpkin brings both benefits and harm to the body.

Rich in minerals heals heart disease, regulates heart rate and blood pressure. It is a good prevention against ischemia, anemia.

Pumpkin dishes are useful for liver pathologies of various etiologies, in the presence of kidney stones. Pumpkin pulp, prepared in different ways, has a good diuretic, choleretic, laxative effect. The neutral medium of pumpkin pulp heals stomach ulcers.

A decoction of pumpkin flowers heals skin wounds with suppuration. Crushed raw pulp is an excellent medicine for boils, burns, rashes of various origins.

Therapists and nutritionists prescribe pumpkin for diabetes, gastritis with abnormal acid production, and various colitis. Restore pumpkin dishes intestinal dysbiosis. Microorganisms are able to remove cholesterol, they cleanse the walls of blood vessels, expand their lumen.

Regular introduction of pumpkin dishes into the diet restores strength, regulates the nervous system, improves sleep, helps female and male organisms with sexual pathologies.

Pumpkin oil, purchased at the pharmacy, is an excellent prophylaxis against many diseases - disorders of blood composition, intestinal imbalance, and digestive tract organs.

However, this, such a useful product, has contraindications:

• pumpkin is excluded with low acidity;
• when the acid-base balance is disturbed;
• when there is a tendency to the appearance of intestinal colic;
• raw pumpkin dishes are contraindicated with high sugar.

Pumpkin seed lovers! There are people who like to snap pumpkin seeds, but they contain many acids that destroy tooth enamel.

All pumpkin dishes should be eaten in moderation, because the body receives both benefits and harm from pumpkin.

Pumpkin is good for everyone

The vitamin E contained in the orange fruit is of great benefit to women, it maintains a youthful state of the body, gives the skin firmness and elasticity.

Orange pigment with carotene gives the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity a shade of light skin tan. It is easy to make a cosmetic mask from raw pulp, which will remove oily sheen, cleanse pores, and reduce the number of acne formations.

When losing weight, low calorie content helps, no matter what dishes this vegetable is cooked in.

Vitamin T aids digestion, and pectins aid in the elimination of cholesterol and toxins.

Men benefit from acid lingering in food. The influence of alpha-lipoic, linoleic, folic acids and polyunsaturated fats significantly improves men's health. The seeds contain zinc, which is necessary for the normalization of the functions of the prostate gland. In order to prevent the formation of prostatitis, men need to gnaw pumpkin seeds every day, at least a handful.

They contain zinc, phosphorus, they regulate the functions of digestion, improve vision, strengthen reproductive capabilities. Fresh pumpkin juice increases the sexual strength of a man, so it should be drunk daily by a glass. Vitamin F is found in all parts of pumpkin - seeds, juice, pulp are rich in this vitamin. It improves the work of blood vessels, heart.

For children, pumpkin is considered an irreplaceable food in any form. Pediatricians recommend preparing pumpkin dishes for children who have chronic problems with bowel function. Raw pulp is especially useful, its fiber contains organic acids that improve the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. Constipation and colitis in children are treated with freshly squeezed pumpkin juice. If honey is added to the juice, such a drink will soothe nervous excitement, regulate falling asleep and deep sleep.

It is important for older people that pumpkin dishes are easy to digest, do not irritate mucous membranes in all parts of the intestine. The high composition of potassium has a diuretic effect, which is important for the elderly in diseases of the heart and blood vessels. The high iron content makes it indispensable in anemic diets.

To old people! In old age, pumpkin pulp is useful, it improves metabolism, prevents gas accumulation, and acts against inflammation in the intestines and digestive tract organs.

Pumpkin Dishes

It can be eaten all year round, if you first stock up on frozen food. The pulp is rubbed on a fine grater, placed in packing bags, placed in the freezer. It is important to sign the packages, otherwise in winter it can be confused with frozen carrots. In frozen form, pumpkin is used for cooking cereals, vegetable stews, baking pies, pancakes.

List of healthy pumpkin dishes:

Porridge. You can cook it with any cereals, but cereals made from corn, wheat, barley are especially good. Each hostess cooks porridge in her own way - one immediately in milk. Others - on water with the addition of vegetable oil. The frozen pumpkin can be placed in the pot along with the cereal. After readiness, before serving, add milk, honey, vanillin to the plates to taste

Salad. Prepared from raw pumpkin. Once frozen, you can defrost it beforehand and squeeze the resulting liquid out of it. Ingredients: pumpkin pulp - 200 g; peeled apples - 4 pcs.; juice from 1 lemon; honey - 2 tsp; walnuts - a handful. Everything is mixed in a dish, the nuts must be chopped with a rolling pin and sprinkled on the finished salad. Fresh pumpkin salad is prepared in the same way

Puree soup. Ingredients: pumpkin pulp - 1 kg; small onion - 1 pc.; garlic - 2 cloves; chicken broth - 5 tbsp.; ginger, salt to taste; greens - for decoration. Method of preparation: fresh pumpkin is cut into cubes and fried in vegetable oil. After that, chopped onions and garlic are added. Fried vegetables are poured with broth, salt and spices are added. The soup is cooked until all ingredients are softened. Then crush the soup into mashed potatoes. Served on the table sprinkled with herbs. If desired, crackers and sour cream are added to the soup

Fritters. Ingredients: pulp of fresh or frozen pumpkin - 250 g; large egg - 1 pc.; low-fat kefir - 1 glass; flour - 5 tbsp. l.; salt and sugar to taste. Method of preparation: combine all the products, knead the dough so that it is thick enough. Bake the pancakes as usual, frying them on both sides. Serve on the table with honey, sour cream

Souffle. Ingredients: pumpkin pulp - 200 g; flour - 2 tbsp. l.; eggs - 2 pcs.; sugar - 25 g; butter is a small piece. Cooking method: boil pumpkin for 10 minutes. The yolks are separated from the whites. The yolks are ground with sugar. The whites are whipped until a white foam. The pumpkin is pounded until mashed potatoes, yolks and flour are added to it. Whipped egg whites are gently introduced. The finished mass is laid out in oiled forms, baked for 0.5 hours at 1900C. Served on the table with jam, preserves

All recipes are for both fresh and frozen pumpkin.