With Halloween just around the corner, it would be fair to say that most people’s minds are on things like chocolate and candy, all of the unhealthy treats that we like to indulge over this spooky holiday. However, it doesn’t all have to be junk food, there is a healthy food under all of our noses during this time, and that is pumpkin! It’s not just for decoration after all! Here are seven great health benefits of pumpkin.
Pumpkin is a vegetable that is particularly rich in Vitamin A, with one serving contain as much as 245% of your recommended daily allowance! This is made even better than the fact that it is incredibly low in calories thanks to its 94% water content!
Pumpkin is high in antioxidants, which can do a number of beneficial things for your body. Antioxidants can help to reduce inflammation, speed up your metabolism, and also reduce the risk of things like cancer and heart disease. Not bad for just a big orange veggie!
The complex combination of vitamins and nutrients that pumpkin contains means that it is really great for giving your immune system a much-needed boost. The stronger your immune system is, the less likely you are to succumb to contagious illnesses that like to do the rounds at this time of year.
Thanks to the high levels of Vitamin A, zeaxanthin, and lutein in pumpkin, it has been proven to be really effective in protecting and preserving your eyesight. Move over carrots, there is another eyesight-saving orange vegetable in town!
Pumpkin is nutritionally dense and a great source of fibre, which means that it can feel very filling, The plus side of this is that it is incredibly low in calories, around 50 calories per cup, so it will keep you feeling full whilst not posing a risk to weight loss efforts.
Pumpkin is high in something called carotenoids, which are an antioxidant that works to neutralise free radicals in your body. Neutralising free radicals is a key thing that counts towards lowering your risk of cancer.
The high levels of potassium, fibre, and Vitamin C that pumpkin contains make it a wonderful food to have in your diet that works towards strengthening your heart health. The combination reduces blood pressure, which in turn reduces risk of stroke and heart attack.