PHARMACIST : Why you must eat a pumpkin

When you think about pumpkins, what comes to mind? Pumpkin pie? Halloween? Well, there’s more to these orange veggies than Halloween and sugary desserts.

Pumpkins are grown all around the world, and here in Tanzania too, for a variety of reasons that range from agricultural to commercial and ornamental sales.

They are warm-weather crops. The specific conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require that soil temperatures three inches (7.6 cm) deep are at least 60 °F (15.5 °C) and soil that holds water well, according to agricultural experts.

Pumpkins have numerous health benefits due to the large amount of vitamins and minerals found in them. Some of the benefits are:

Weight Loss

Pumpkin is rich in fiber, which slows digestion. “Pumpkin keeps you feeling fuller longer,” says Caroline Kaufman, an upwave diet and nutrition expert. “There’s seven grams of fiber in a cup of canned pumpkin. That’s more than what you’d get in two slices of whole-grain bread.”

Pumpkins may be filling, but it’s also a low-calorie superstar. Canned pumpkin is nearly 90 per cent water, so besides the fact that it helps keep you hydrated, it has fewer than 50 calories per serving. Therefore, It’s one of the best foods for people on a diet.

Sharp Vision

Pumpkin’s brilliant orange coloring comes from its ample supply of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for eye health and helps the retina absorb and process light. A single cup of pumpkin contains over 200 per cent of most people’s recommended daily intake of vitamin A, making it an outstanding option for optical health.

Pumpkin also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that are thought to help prevent cataracts and may even slow the development of macular degeneration.

Better Immunity

Looking for a way to ward off illness and improve your immune system? Try pumpkin. The large shot of vitamin A the fruit provides helps your body fight infections, viruses and infectious diseases. Pumpkin oil even helps fight various bacterial and fungal infections. Plus, pumpkin is packed with nearly 20 per cent of the recommended amount of daily vitamin C, which may help you recover from colds faster.

Younger-Looking Skin

Sure, eating pumpkin can help you look younger (beta-carotene in pumpkin helps protect us from the sun’s wrinkle-causing UV rays), but the pulp also makes a great, all-natural face mask that exfoliates and soothes. All you need is 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie), an egg, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of milk. Mix, then apply it, wait for 20 minutes or so and wash it off with warm water.

Lower Cancer Risk

Beta-carotene is great for your eyes and skin, but you know what else it’s good for? Fighting cancer. Research shows people who eat a beta-carotene-rich diet may have a lower risk of some types of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer. They act as a shield against free radicals that cause cancer.

It may help treat diabetes

In scientific tests, pumpkin has been shown to reduce blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and increase the amount of insulin the body produces. More testing needs to be done before we can say for sure what pumpkin’s benefits for diabetics will be, but if you have diabetes, munching on pumpkin certainly won’t hurt.

It may help with sleep

Pumpkin seeds contain a moderate amount of Tryptophan, which helps people with insomnia and depression. It’s a natural way that helps soothe the mind.