7 Amazing Benefits of Pumpkin for Body Health

Pumpkin is often processed into compote during the fasting month. Abroad, pumpkins are often carved and used as scary decorations during Halloween. It turns out that this orange round fruit has a myriad of health benefits for the body because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Curious what are the benefits of pumpkin for health? Read on to find out more.

The nutritional content of yellow pumpkin

Pumpkin is rich in nutrients such as potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins. Nutrition in a cup of boiled pumpkin without salt includes 49 calories, 1.76 grams of protein, 0.17 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 2.7 grams of fiber, and 5.1 grams of sugar.

Consuming one cup of pumpkin can meet the needs of vitamin A by more than 100 percent, vitamin C 20 percent, vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper, and manganese up to 10 percent, and five percent for vitamin, B6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron magnesium, and phosphorus.

If cooked pumpkin can provide such great benefits, of course, the fresh pumpkin will provide more benefits. Canned pumpkin also still has a lot of nutrients, but must be chosen which does not contain too much sugar.

The benefits of pumpkin for health

Here are some of the health benefits of pumpkin that you should know about:

1. Low calorie and high in fiber

If you are trying to lose weight, pumpkin can be the right choice for diet food. In addition to its good taste - like sweet potatoes, pumpkin also helps you lose weight because it is low in calories and carbohydrates.

Not only that, eating pumpkin will make you feel full longer. This is because pumpkin has a fairly high fiber content which serves to slow down the digestive process. By feeling full longer, then you can avoid a variety of snacks that will make you fat.

2. Improve vision

The content of beta-carotene contained in pumpkins, making this fruit rich in vitamin A. Beta-carotene, which will be converted into vitamin A in the body, serves to help the retina absorb and process light. Because the decline in retinal function can cause blindness if not treated properly.

In addition, pumpkin also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that can help prevent cataracts and even slow down the development of macular degeneration.

3. Beautify the skin

Another benefit of pumpkin is treating skin beauty. Pumpkin is rich in various vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that the body needs to stay healthy and young. More than that, this one fruit is also able to make the skin always supple and soft.

The content of beta-carotene in pumpkin produces good antioxidants to ward off free radicals and prevent UV radiation. That is why eating foods rich in beta-carotene can make you more youthful.

4. Boosts the immune system

Eating pumpkin can be one way to improve your immune system to ward off various diseases. The abundant vitamin A content can help the body fight infections, viruses, and infectious diseases.

Pumpkin oil even helps fight various bacterial and fungal infections. Not only that, because pumpkin contains almost 20 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, but this also helps you recover from colds faster. That is why, it is very fitting to eat pumpkin soup in the cold rainy season to prevent diseases, such as colds, colds, and coughs.

5. Prevent cancer

The high beta-carotene content in pumpkin in addition to the eyes and skin, also apparently helps fight cancer. Research shows people who consume foods rich in beta-carotene have a lower risk of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Additionally, the antioxidant content of vitamins A and C in the yellow pumpkin acts as a cell protector in your body against the free radicals caused by cancer.

6. Maintaining heart health

The content of folate, carotenoids, and magnesium in pumpkin makes it very good for your heart health. Magnesium will work as a blood vessel relaxant so that it can lower blood pressure and prevent strokes and heart attacks. In addition, pumpkin can also prevent atherosclerosis, a condition in which the walls of arteries harden due to the accumulation of fat in the inner walls.

7. Lowering blood pressure

Pumpkin is very rich in potassium. Eating foods that contain potassium, as important as reducing sodium intake to lower blood pressure. Potassium intake into the body also reduces your chances of having a stroke, the formation of kidney stones, and maintaining bone density. Besides pumpkin, other foods that contain high potassium are pineapple, tomatoes, oranges, spinach, and bananas.

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