6 Pumpkin Health Benefits I Bet You Didn’t Know

This orange squash usually makes a grand appearance at most American households during Halloween and Thanksgiving but adding this veggie to your diet every week would give you so many health benefits. Here’s a fact that fitness enthusiasts will love- pumpkin health benefits also include giving your body plenty of fiber and being low in calories because of its high water content.

Let’s look at 6 pumpkin health benefits you could be missing out on:

Regulating Blood Pressure Levels

Pumpkin has plenty of Vit C and potassium which play a role in keeping the heart healthy and heart functions better regulated. More potassium means lower chances of stroke, better blood pressure levels and healthier bones. The antioxidants found in it help to stop bad cholesterol from forming deposits along the walls of your blood vessels.

Antioxidant Storehouse

Pumpkin health benefits include giving your body a host of vitamins and minerals which boost health, not to forget its radical fighting properties like alpha- carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. Plus, its natural orange shade is thanks to the presence of beta-carotene which helps to protect you from prostrate cancer and keep your eyes from degenerating.

Fight Diabetes

Pumpkin seeds help the intestines to absorb glucose better besides helping the liver function more effectively. Pumpkin health benefits also include lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and helping the body absorb sugar more slowly thereby helping you avoid the sudden spike in blood sugar levels that are dangerous.

Immunity Booster

Kids often have a problem with low immunity and one way to improve that is by including pumpkin in their diets. Pumpkin health benefits include Vitamin A which helps to fight infections and Vitamin C which helps to heal wounds faster. Vit E, iron and folate are three other nutrients that each help to boost immunity.

Diet Friendly Veggie

Pumpkins are low in calories and here are a few tasty ways in which you can enjoy them:

• Puree a cup of pumpkin and add it to your regular pasta cheese sauce. You’ll enjoy the richer flavors.
• Blend pumpkin and add chicken stock and veggies to it for a hearty flavorful soup. Great for long winter nights and for keeping calories in check.
• The next time you bake a cake, add a cup of pumpkin puree to the batter as well- it’s a good way to up your fiber intake.
• A good way to begin the day is by enjoying a stack of pumpkin pancakes drizzled with cinnamon syrup.
• Dice pumpkin into small cubes and lightly roast them with salt and herbs. You could also add the seeds too for some crunch.

Give You Radiant Skin

Can a veggie actually make you look better? Well, apparently one of the pumpkin health benefits include protecting sensitive skin cells from long-term UV ray damage and enabling the skin to produce more collagen which keeps it looking youthful and healthier.

Interested to know which vegetables can give your body the most benefits? Simply spend 5 minutes of your time to send me an email and we can kick-start your journey to perfect health!