2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The pumpkin is a favorite part of food in autumn and winter. But is it as useful as everyone claims?
It turns out that pumpkin is very nutritious and low in calories. In addition, it is much more flexible than you imagine. It can be prepared in both sweet and savory dishes.
Is the pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
Pumpkin is part of the plant family of cucumbers and melons. It is technically a fruit because it contains seeds. But in terms of nutrition, it looks more like a vegetable.
Pumpkins are usually round and orange, although size, shape and color can vary depending on the variety. They have a thick outer skin that is smooth and ribbed, as well as a stem that connects the pumpkin to its leafy plant. Their seeds, leaves and inside are edible and find a place in recipes from the world cuisine.
Variety of pumpkin
There are many different varieties of pumpkin such as:
- Lantern Jack: A large variety of pumpkins that are commonly used for carving;
- Pumpkin pie: Smaller and sweeter variety;
- Miniature: decorative and at the same time edible;
- White: Some can be cooked, while others are more suitable for decoration or carving;
- Giant: Most often bred for competitions. They are generally eaten, but are not as tasty as smaller species.
Nutritional value of pumpkin
The pumpkin is one of the most nutritious foods. It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, as well as relatively few calories.
One cup of boiled pumpkin provides:
- Calories: 49
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Vitamin K: 49%
- Vitamin C: 19%
- Potassium: 16%
- Honey, manganese and riboflavin: 11%
- Vitamin E: 10%
- Iron: 8%
- Folate: 6%
Pumpkin also has an extremely high content of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid that is converted to vitamin A in the body.
Main health benefits of pumpkin consumption
- Immunity
The pumpkin provides you with a very good dose of beta-carotene, which is partially converted to vitamin A. It can help your body deal with infections if you suffer from them. Vitamins C and E, iron and folic acid, which are also found in pumpkin, help improve the function of your immune system.
- Healthy eyes
Beta-carotene helps maintain the sharpness of your vision by helping the retina to better absorb light. The combination of other vitamins and minerals in pumpkin can prevent age-related macular degeneration.
- Healthy skin
The antioxidants found in pumpkin are important for the health of your skin. These include beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. In particular, beta-carotene is the one that protects you from harmful sun UV rays.
- Heart health
Pumpkin has specific nutrients that are good for heart health. Fiber, vitamin C and potassium can help improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms associated with abdominal obesity. These include high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control and elevated triglyceride levels - factors that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Beta-carotene c the pumpkin may reduce the risk of this disease.
How to cook a pumpkin?
Pumpkin is extremely popular in the preparation of pancakes, creams and muffins, but it is also a good ingredient in savory dishes. You can prepare it in the form of soup or bake it with other vegetables.
It may seem strange, but other parts of this plant are also eaten. For example, with the help of seeds, a crunchy breakfast is prepared, and the flowers are often served fried.
It is recommended not to deal with pumpkins of the Jack lantern type. Large pumpkins used in carving are not as tasty as pie pumpkins, for example.
What to watch out for when eating pumpkin
- Interaction with drugs
Pumpkin is a mild diuretic and can be a problem for people taking certain medications, especially lithium.
- Fast food with pumpkin flavor
Just because something has a pumpkin in its description doesn't mean it's useful. Drinking the so-called pumpkin latte has no benefit to your health, unlike the fruit itself.
Also, pastries such as pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie can give you some extra vitamins, minerals and fiber, but remember that they are also rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Recommended:
Nutritional Value And Benefits Of Bananas
Bananas are sweet fruits that are preferred by many people. They contain many vitamins, a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and sodium, but most of all potassium. Potassium is needed for muscles, heart, brain, bones and liver. It helps to quickly remove excess fluids from the body.
Nutritional Value Of Pumpkin
One of the sweetest temptations during the autumn-winter season for many of us is roasted pumpkin. Apart from being so fragrant and delicious, however, it can also be extremely useful. Despite the frequent debate over whether it is a fruit or a vegetable, the favorite pumpkin has already appeared on the colorful autumn market.
Nutritional Value And Benefits Of Broom Seeds
The broom seed It is not very well known in our country, but it is gaining more and more popularity due to its useful and cleansing properties. In fact, it comes from the Sorghum family - a genus of herbaceous cereals, which are over 70 species.
Fig - Nutritional Value And Useful Qualities
Figs are very juicy and sweet fruit. Their juiciness is due to the high water content, which is between 60 and 80 percent when the fruit is fresh. We can safely say that figs melt in your mouth. Their sweetness is due to the high sugar content.
Mackerel - Nutritional Value And Benefits
Mackerel contains many important vitamins and minerals. This oily sea fish is one of the healthiest choices you can include in your diet. In this article we will introduce you to the numerous health benefits of consuming mackerel and a complete nutritional profile.
