Pumpkin: benefits and harm for the human body, for women, during pregnancy

Pumpkin - the benefits and harms to the body of this vegetable concern many people, since large orange fruits often appear on tables in the autumn. To evaluate the properties of pumpkin, you need to carefully study its composition and learn about the effect on health.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of pumpkin

Juicy orange pumpkin is a tasty and affordable vegetable with many beneficial properties. The nutritional value of pumpkin is presented:

carbohydrates - about 4.4 g;
proteins - approximately 1 g;
fats - only 0.1 g;
water - up to 92% of the total volume of the product.

The vegetable contains many valuable substances. In addition to mineral salts and vitamins, the pulp contains a lot of fiber and natural sugars.At the same time, starch and cholesterol are completely absent, and this increases the beneficial properties of pumpkin for the human body.

Fresh pumpkin is a product with a very low calorie content. 100 g of pulp contains only 26 kcal, so the vegetable does not have any harmful effect on weight.

What are the beneficial properties of pumpkin?

Fresh vegetables contain so many vitamins and minerals that they are worth studying in more detail. It is in them that the value of the orange vegetable lies mainly.

Pumpkin contains:

a huge amount of alpha and beta carotene - up to 85% and 65% of the daily value, respectively;
vitamin A - about 42% of the daily requirement;
subgroup B vitamins - on average 5-10% of the recommended daily intake;
vitamins E and K, ascorbic acid; 5% of the daily requirement of these substances can be obtained from pumpkin.

Minerals in the vegetable deserve attention:

magnesium - a small portion of a vegetable can cover and exceed the daily requirement for this element;
iron and phosphorus, pumpkin contains more than 5% of the daily value of these substances;
manganese, potassium, calcium and zinc, from pumpkin you can get from 2% to 7% of the daily value of these elements.

Pumpkin is one of the best foods that prevent the development of vitamin deficiency. Regular consumption of vegetables helps maintain the correct balance of valuable substances in the body and not experience seasonal vitamin deficiencies.

Benefits of pumpkin when consumed regularly

Pumpkin brings the most benefits if consumed on a regular basis. In this case, the vegetable will be able to:

improve vision and lower blood pressure;
regulate bowel function and normalize stool frequency;
equalize the water-salt balance in the body;
strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increase their elasticity, thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis;
reduce stomach acidity and eliminate heartburn;
strengthen immune resistance and reduce the risk of colds;
normalize sleep and have a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system as a whole;
reduce swelling and promote the removal of excess fluid from tissues;
protect the liver from destruction and promote its recovery.

The vegetable also promotes cell renewal and helps maintain youth and normal functioning of the whole body longer. It can be used as a preventive measure for oncology; consuming the vegetable reduces the risk of developing malignant tumors.

In what form should I take it?

Pumpkin brings benefits to the body, regardless of the form in which it is served; after heat treatment, the vegetable remains useful. But the greatest amount of valuable substances is present in the raw vegetable, so for health reasons it is better to eat pumpkin fresh. Unprocessed pulp is very beneficial for digestion, heart and blood vessels.

As for baked or boiled pumpkin pulp, it contains, by definition, less vitamins and minerals. But the thermally processed vegetable has a gentler effect on the intestines, so it is especially recommended for elderly people, young children and patients recovering from serious illnesses.

Important! Raw pumpkin must be completely ripe; if you eat an unripe fruit, your body may be harmed.

What are the benefits of pumpkin for the human body?

When eaten regularly, the vegetable brings the following beneficial effects:

cleanses the body and balances the water-salt balance;
stabilizes metabolism and triggers cellular renewal processes;
increases hemoglobin and relieves symptoms of vitamin deficiency;
has a beneficial effect on the vascular and cardiac systems, and brain function.

It is also worth considering the special effect of the vegetable on the male and female body.

Benefits of pumpkin for men

The beneficial substances in pumpkin have a positive effect on the reproductive functions of men. Pumpkin prevents a decrease in libido, improves the quality of male genetic material and can help in conceiving a healthy child. The benefit also lies in the fact that the vegetable affects the hormonal system and promotes the production of testosterone - this increases stamina and strength in men.

The beneficial effect of the vegetable on the heart and blood vessels protects men from the development of dangerous ailments - strokes and heart attacks. You can take the product as a prophylaxis to prevent prostatitis and tumors of the genitourinary system.

What are the benefits of pumpkin for a woman’s body?

The beneficial properties and contraindications of pumpkin for women are very diverse; in a regular diet, this vegetable can have a valuable effect on women’s health. When eating pumpkin, the body actively gets rid of toxins, harmful salts and heavy metals. With the help of pumpkin you can fight swelling; the vegetable is also very useful as a preventive measure for gynecological inflammation.

The benefit of pumpkin for a woman’s body lies in the beneficial effect of the vegetable on external beauty. The vitamins contained in the orange pulp improve skin condition, protect nails from brittleness and help strengthen hair.

Is it possible to pumpkin during pregnancy?

During the period of bearing a baby, pumpkin brings double benefits.First of all, it saturates the expectant mother’s body with valuable substances - magnesium and calcium, iron and folates, vitamins and organic acids. This ensures not only the healthy formation of the fetus, but also the woman’s good health; vitamin deficiency often develops during pregnancy, and the orange vegetable prevents its appearance.

The vegetable relieves swelling and helps prevent constipation. Another valuable property of the product is that it effectively helps with toxicosis. The following remedy relieves nausea well:

200 g of raw pumpkin pulp, cut into small pieces;
pour a liter of water;
insist for an hour.

You should drink the product throughout the day, like tea, at the first symptoms of nausea.

At what age can children pumpkin?

Vegetables can be introduced into a child’s diet quite early. Already at 4 months, it is allowed to offer the baby juice squeezed from fresh pulp; from six months of age, soft pumpkin purees are introduced, and from 8-10 months, pumpkin-based vegetable soups are introduced.

The vegetable is especially beneficial for the child’s body due to its high content of vitamin A, which is responsible for healthy vision. The vegetable also strengthens the baby’s immune system and musculoskeletal system, and helps maintain healthy digestion.

Attention! Sometimes pumpkin can cause severe allergies; the orange vegetable also has other contraindications. Before offering the pulp to your child, you should definitely consult with your pediatrician.

Benefits of pumpkin for the elderly

The body of older people is characterized by increased sensitivity and requires a careful approach to diet.In old age, the digestive tract often begins to work worse, which causes constipation, but healthy pumpkin helps normalize intestinal function.

The benefit of the orange vegetable also lies in its anti-aging properties. Pumpkin stimulates cell renewal and supports the functioning of the circulatory system. Therefore, older people later begin to feel the signs of aging and can maintain good health and vitality.

Benefits of pumpkin for the human body

For some ailments and conditions, orange pumpkin can be especially beneficial. Traditional medicine and dietetics offer proven ways to consume vegetables for various diseases.

For liver and kidney diseases

The diuretic and choleretic properties of the vegetable help cope with kidney and liver diseases and prevent the occurrence of severe disorders.

If kidney failure occurs, it is recommended to eat 500 g of grated fresh pumpkin daily or drink 100 ml of hand-squeezed juice. You need to continue treatment for 3 months, then pumpkin will help get rid of swelling and remove small stones from the kidneys.
For liver diseases, another recipe is beneficial - grate 1 kg of pumpkin pulp, mix with 500 g of prunes, add 2 large spoons of buckthorn bark and pour the ingredients with 150 ml of rosehip syrup and 1.5 liters of clean water. The mixture is steamed for about half an hour under the lid, and then filtered. You need to take the medicine one glass shortly before bedtime for a week. The recipe has powerful cleansing properties and therefore brings great benefits to the liver.

To protect the liver from hepatitis and cirrhosis, as well as to quickly remove toxins, you can simply consume 500 g of fresh vegetables throughout the week.

For the gastrointestinal tract

The high fiber content of pumpkin pulp brings invaluable benefits to the digestive system. The vegetable helps normalize stool and promotes the complete absorption of valuable substances.

If you have a heaviness in your stomach, it is very useful to eat baked pumpkin every day. The vegetable will have a calming effect on the body, relieve irritation and facilitate easy digestion of food.
For constipation, a vegetable with vegetable oil - sunflower, olive or castor - will have a valuable effect. In the morning you need to eat 200 g of pulp and wash it down with a couple of tablespoons of butter, this will quickly cleanse the intestines.

If you eat pumpkin in small quantities every day, it will help solve the problem of sluggish digestion, intestinal motility will become more active, and chronic constipation will go away.

For the cardiovascular system

The minerals and vitamins contained in the vegetable help thin the blood and help equalize blood pressure. This not only eliminates problems with blood vessels, but also has a positive effect on cardiac activity - the risk of heart attacks and other heart diseases is reduced.

For hypertension, it is recommended to use this remedy - 200 g of pumpkin pulp is mixed with 30 g of raisins and the same amount of wheat sprouts, and then crushed in a blender. The mixture is consumed 1 large spoon at breakfast for 10 days.
For cardiovascular diseases, freshly squeezed pumpkin juice is of great benefit; you need to drink half a glass of it on an empty stomach.You can take this remedy for a long time not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of illnesses.

A vegetable in your weekly diet will have a beneficial effect; if you often eat fresh or processed pulp, the condition of your blood vessels and heart will noticeably improve.

For skin

The benefits and harms of pumpkin for the human body are manifested, among other things, when the vegetable is used externally. The vitamins in pumpkin pulp promote the healing of cuts, disinfect purulent wounds and help heal burns faster.

Natural pumpkin juice is a good remedy for sun and thermal burns. You need to squeeze out 100 g of raw pulp, and then soak a cotton swab in the juice and wipe the affected areas several times a day.
Pumpkin pulp gruel will help against festering wounds and eczema - 300 g of raw vegetable should be crushed in a meat grinder, and then applied to a sterile bandage and fixed with a compress on the sore spot for 3 hours.

Important! For the best effect, it is recommended to use the vegetable externally for 2 weeks, then it will not only eliminate damage to the skin, but also help prevent the appearance of scars.

For gout

Since pumpkin has a powerful cleansing effect on the body, it is useful for the deposition of harmful salts in the joints.

As a therapeutic and prophylactic remedy, traditional medicine recommends eating baked pumpkin on an ongoing basis - 1 large spoon of pulp three times a day.
You can also prepare a decoction that helps with salt deposition - chop dried vegetable stems in the amount of 1 large spoon, add a glass of hot water, boil for a quarter of an hour and leave covered for 40 minutes. You need to take the product three times a day, a couple of large spoons on an empty stomach.

For gout, the vegetable improves mobility, eliminates pain and inflammation and helps improve the condition.

For atherosclerosis

Pumpkin lowers cholesterol in the blood and therefore helps prevent atherosclerosis or mitigate its manifestations. Traditional medicine offers several recipes.

Infusion on the peel to cleanse blood vessels. About 40 g of thick pumpkin peel should be poured into 250 ml of hot water, left for half an hour, and then drunk 100 ml with breakfast for a week.
Pumpkin pulp to lower cholesterol. About 50 g of raw pulp just needs to be grated and taken half an hour before breakfast every day for a couple of weeks.

To maintain good vascular condition, it is recommended to include raw or processed vegetables in your diet more often; this will only bring benefits.

For anemia

Pumpkin is one of the record holders among vegetables for the content of vitamins and valuable minerals. Therefore, if there is a deficiency of nutrients and low hemoglobin levels, it must be included in the diet.

The basic recipe suggests simply consuming 150 g of raw pulp per day for anemia until your hemoglobin levels increase.
You can also take baked pumpkin - up to 2 kg per day along with cereals and other dishes. This treatment should be continued for 5-7 days to avoid an excess of nutrients in the body.

Eating orange vegetables is recommended as a seasonal prevention of anemia. In the autumn, many people suffer from a deficiency of valuable substances and face a drop in hemoglobin levels, but it is at this time that pumpkin can become the most accessible vitamin product.

How to eat pumpkin correctly

In order for pumpkin to bring maximum benefits, you need to follow some rules when consuming it.

Adults are recommended to eat no more than 300-400 g of pulp per day. When treating ailments, portions can be increased in accordance with recipes, but active use of pumpkin should not continue for too long.
For children, the dosage of vegetables must be significantly reduced. Until the child turns 1 year old, he can be offered no more than 30 g of vegetables per day and no more often than twice a week. Subsequently, the daily norm can be increased to 50 g three times a week.
It is preferable for older people to eat processed pumpkin rather than raw. Although it contains slightly less vitamins, it is better absorbed by the stomach and does not lead to intestinal disorders.

Pumpkin should be handled with caution if you are prone to diarrhea. Although the vegetable is not on the list of prohibited foods, its laxative properties can have a negative effect; it is advisable to eat pumpkin baked and in reduced portions. Also, the dosage of the vegetable should be reduced in case of ulcers and low acidity of the stomach.

Exceeding dosages of raw pumpkin is dangerous not only due to diarrhea, but also yellowing of the skin. The fact is that the vegetable contains a lot of carotene, and an excess of this substance in the body can change the color of the skin. For the same reason, it is better not to consume pumpkin at the same time as taking vitamin A or with vegetables and fruits containing this element.

Pumpkin brings the greatest benefit to the diet in the morning - the dietary fiber in the pulp awakens the intestines and metabolic system to active work.

Restrictions and contraindications

The beneficial properties and contraindications of pumpkin are inseparable from each other.To prevent harm to the body, you should not consume the vegetable if:

colitis and peptic ulcer;
gastritis with reduced production of gastric juice;
cholelithiasis with large stones;
tendency to diarrhea.

If you have diabetes, only heat-treated pumpkin is prohibited for consumption; eating raw vegetables is still allowed.

Conclusion

Pumpkin - the benefits and harm to the body from this vegetable accompany each other. However, if you use the product in the absence of contraindications and in small dosages, the vegetable will have a very positive effect on all systems and organs.