Content
Pumpkin seed milk is an unusual product of plant origin, with a pleasant taste and a lot of valuable properties. To evaluate the benefits of milk, you need to carefully study its composition and understand the specific effects on the body.
Composition and value of pumpkin seed milk
Essentially, pumpkin milk is a drink made from ground pumpkin seeds and regular drinking water. Therefore, the composition of the drink is practically no different from the composition of pumpkin seeds and contains the following substances:
- subgroup B vitamins - among them B1 and B2, B5 and B6, B9;
- vitamins E and K;
- acid PP (niacin);
- choline;
- magnesium, manganese and copper;
- iron, fluorine, zinc and phosphorus;
- selenium;
- fiber.
However, there is an important difference: all these substances are present in large volumes in pumpkin milk. This is how the benefits of soaking seeds in water are manifested; their valuable properties increase significantly.
From the point of view of nutritional value, the drink is represented mainly by fats - milk obtained from pumpkin seeds contains 6.4 g of them. Proteins in the product occupy 3.9 g, and milk contains very little carbohydrates - only 1.4 g. Calorie content of milk is about 72 kcal per 100 ml of product.
Benefits of pumpkin seed milk
In cooking and dietetics, milk is valued not only for its unusual nature. The benefits and harms of pumpkin seed milk extend to many body systems. When used regularly, this product:
- replenishes the lack of valuable substances in the body and prevents the development of chronic fatigue;
- has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and improves sleep quality;
- improves mood and strengthens memory, and also increases performance;
- has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body, improves the absorption of nutrients;
- acts as a diuretic and choleretic agent, thereby helping to get rid of swelling and discomfort in the intestines;
- improves the condition of skin and hair; milk from pumpkin seeds is especially valued by women for these properties;
- relieves toxicosis during pregnancy;
- helps in the fight against internal inflammation, and therefore can be used for colds, stomach ailments and diseases of the reproductive system.
Pumpkin seed milk has great benefits for dietary and vegetarian nutrition. It does not contain animal fats, so you can drink the drink during fasting, on a strict diet, or while observing an absolute abstinence from animal foods. Unlike cow's or goat's milk, plant-based milk made from pumpkin seeds contains absolutely no lactose.Therefore, people who are intolerant to regular dairy products can drink the drink without any worries.
Some features of pumpkin seed milk deserve closer consideration because they have special significance for the body.
For the gastrointestinal tract
Pumpkin milk has a mild laxative effect and significantly speeds up the digestion of food. Drinking a drink made from pumpkin seeds is useful for intestinal congestion, sluggish peristalsis and a tendency to constipation. Milk will help get rid of flatulence, eliminate discomfort and heaviness in the stomach after eating and generally improve your well-being.
For diabetics
The benefit of pumpkin seeds and pumpkin milk is that these products contain very little sugar and do not lead to sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels. On the contrary, when consumed regularly, seed milk helps reduce sugar levels.
This makes the drink very useful for type 2 diabetes. In consultation with your doctor, you can use it on an ongoing basis, giving the product preference over regular milk.
To cleanse the body
Pumpkin milk contains not only vitamins, but also a large amount of fatty acids, as well as amino acids with a pronounced anthelmintic effect. These properties make milk extremely useful for cleansing the body. When consumed according to proven schemes, pumpkin seed milk helps normalize stool and helps remove accumulated toxins from the intestines, accelerates peristalsis and eliminates traces of toxins.
With the help of the drink you can even get rid of parasites.Pumpkin milk from unpeeled seeds paralyzes any vital activity of helminths in the body and prevents them from attaching to the intestinal walls and internal organs. If you combine the intake of milk with the use of laxatives, it will be possible to eliminate worms without the use of pharmaceutical drugs.
For anemia
Residents of northern regions often suffer from a lack of vitamins. In addition, anemia in men and women can develop due to malnutrition, previous illness or severe stress.
Milk made from ground pumpkin seeds contains a huge amount of vitamins, acids and minerals. Therefore, its use allows you to quickly restore the balance of valuable substances in the body. The drink contains a lot of iron and folic acid, so milk helps raise hemoglobin levels, improve body tone and increase endurance.
For the heart and blood vessels
The benefits and harms of pumpkin seed milk are in demand for diseases of the cardiovascular system. First of all, the drink helps lower cholesterol levels, which means it prevents blockage of blood vessels and the development of atherosclerosis.
Phytosterols present in pumpkin seed milk help thin the blood, while fatty acids and fiber reduce the risk of arrhythmia and thrombosis. With regular use, the benefits of ground pumpkin seeds with peel will be expressed in the fact that the drink will normalize blood pressure, eliminate headaches and dizziness, and improve oxygen supply to the brain. These properties will benefit not only the elderly, but also quite young people, since recently cardiovascular diseases are increasingly developing at the age of about 30 years.
For the genitourinary system
The anti-inflammatory properties of pumpkin milk made from seeds bring great benefits to the genitourinary system. In men, the drink, due to its high zinc content, prevents the development of prostate tumors, and also has an auxiliary therapeutic effect for inflammation of the prostate gland. Since pumpkin milk improves blood circulation, it has a positive effect on potency and libido.
The drink will also be beneficial for women - milk from pumpkin seeds helps eliminate the discomfort of cystitis. The beneficial substances in the drink improve well-being during menopause and during severe painful periods. In addition, the high iron content in the drink replenishes inevitable blood loss and helps avoid weakness and loss of strength during menstruation.
How to make milk from pumpkin seeds at home
Ready-made milk from pumpkin seeds can only be found in specialized stores, which are not found everywhere. However, you can prepare this healing product at home; you only need a few ingredients, and the benefits of homemade milk will be no less.
To prepare milk, you will need to take 1 cup of unpeeled pumpkin seeds and 4 cups of clean drinking water. The procedure for preparing the drink is as follows:
- pumpkin seeds are poured into a small saucepan with running cold water and left to soak for 5 hours;
- in water, pumpkin seeds will not only swell and increase in size, the volume of nutrients in them will also increase;
- after 5 hours, the water from under the pumpkin seeds is drained, the raw materials are washed again in water and placed in the bowl of a blender or food processor;
- pumpkin seeds are poured with 4 glasses of clean water;
- mix the seeds and water automatically until a homogeneous white mass is obtained.
After the milk is completely ready, it will need to be strained through tightly folded cheesecloth to remove any sediment remaining from the seeds. After this, the liquid is poured into a glass vessel and used at your discretion.
Pumpkin seeds taken for making milk must be of very high quality, without flaws or dark spots, without an unpleasant odor. Then the drink will have a pure white or slightly yellowish color, an unusual but pleasant pumpkin smell and a lot of useful properties.
What can you make from pumpkin milk?
Pumpkin milk not only brings great benefits on its own, but also goes well with a wide variety of foods. It is used to prepare vitamin cocktails and hearty healthy porridges, baked goods and milk soups, desserts and sauces.
For lunch, puree soup with unusual milk will delight you with its pleasant taste and delicate consistency. It is prepared like this:
- 300 g of fresh pumpkin pulp, cut into small pieces;
- 1 large potato, washed, peeled and also chopped;
- vegetables are placed in a pan and filled with water so that it covers the vegetables by 1 cm from above;
- In a heated frying pan, fry 1 carrot and 1 onion, after grating them;
- add onions and carrots to the pan with the vegetables, place on low heat and cook until fully cooked until the vegetables soften.
After this, remove the soup from the stove, add 50 ml of pumpkin milk and beat with a blender until a completely homogeneous consistency. The tender and soft soup is decorated with a sprig of fresh herbs and served.
You can also make a delicious cocktail from pumpkin milk - a fruit smoothie that will benefit digestion. According to the recipe you need:
- wash, peel and cut into small pieces a banana and a fresh apple;
- put the ingredients into the blender;
- pour 150 ml of pumpkin milk over the fruit and beat until the mass becomes completely homogeneous.
If desired, you can add a spoonful of honey or a pinch of cinnamon to a thick cocktail, or you can consume it in its pure form and instantly feel an improvement in tone.
Another popular dish using vegetable milk is rice porridge, which is ideal for breakfast and brings great benefits. It is prepared like this:
- pour 1 glass of fresh pumpkin milk into an enamel pan;
- over moderate heat, bring the milk to a boil, and then add 3 large spoons of rice into it;
- Boil the cereal until it softens, and 5 minutes before it is ready, add salt to taste.
If desired, you can add a spoonful of natural honey or 30 g of soft raisins to the finished porridge; they will improve the taste of the dish and its nutritional value.
In addition to the recipes listed, a drink made from pumpkin seeds can be added to tea or coffee, made into cocoa, or consumed in its pure form with cookies or gingerbread.
Restrictions and contraindications
The benefits of pumpkin seed milk are not the same for everyone.The product has certain contraindications, which include:
- gastritis with high acidity in the acute stage, since fresh milk contains a lot of natural acids, in the acute phase of the disease the drink can worsen the condition;
- peptic ulcer or pancreatitis in a state of exacerbation, in these cases milk will also do more harm than good;
- allergy to pumpkin and its seeds - pumpkin milk can cause diarrhea, nausea and skin rashes;
- tendency to diarrhea - the product has laxative properties and can lead to severe intestinal upset.
Like any product, pumpkin seed drink can only be beneficial in moderation. It is recommended to drink it in volumes of no more than 1 glass per day, otherwise milk will have a laxative effect and can provoke an attack of diarrhea or vomiting.
How to store pumpkin seed milk
Valuable vitamins and natural acids in milk from seeds give it great benefits, but at the same time greatly reduce the shelf life of the drink. Fresh milk can be stored for no longer than 3-5 days, and if sweeteners or pieces of fruit have been added to the drink, the storage time is reduced to a day.
Pumpkin seed milk can only be kept in the refrigerator. At room temperature and exposed to light, it will deteriorate within a couple of hours and become unfit for consumption.
Conclusion
Pumpkin seed milk is rarely found in stores, but you can easily make it yourself in your home kitchen. The drink has a lot of useful properties, has a beneficial effect on all systems of the body and has almost no contraindications; the main thing is to observe small dosages when consuming it.
