Pumpkin is one of those exceptional foods to whom due justice has not yet been done. Among its properties: it is digestive, delicious, attractive in appearance and is full of substances with a multitude of health benefits. These are merits that justify frequent use, with different preparations, in autumn and winter.

We are only beginning to learn about the culinary and nutritional possibilities of pumpkins, even though it has been more than five centuries since ships returning from America brought the first ones to Europe.

Origin of the pumpkin

Apparently, the squash plant, a botanical relative of the melon, zucchini, watermelon and cucumber, It had its origin in the area between Guatemala and Mexico, where about ten thousand years ago wild varieties that had little pulp and a bitter taste were consumed.

But American farmers selected the seeds until they obtained a sweet and aromatic food. It became such an essential heritage for the natives that some North American tribes buried their dead with pumpkins, perhaps as a reserve of food and protection for the afterlife.

Types of pumpkin

In America there are summer squashes, which are consumed unripe, raw, with skin and everything, but the most popular, especially among us, are those that They are harvested from September to November, when they are completely ripe and require cooking.

They belong to families Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. mixta, and there are many varieties of different sizes and colors – from yellow to orange, through red, green, blue and gray. Most weigh from 2 to 8 kg, in some cases they exceed 35 kg and the giant ones that are taken to competitions can reach 600 kg.

Despite the diversity all They share some characteristics. They have a cavity where the seeds are housed, the pulp is gently sweet with a firm, fine-grained texture and the skin is so hard and insulating that it allows them to be stored for months in a cool, dry place.

The best known among us are the varieties of citron, pear-shaped, with gelatinous pulp and an intense yellow color, and the confectionery or angel hair variety.

Other classes are the American, the Spanish green, the fiddle or peanut and the crooked neck.

In Spain, Half of the pumpkins consumed come from the Canary Islands and Andalusia. They are also grown in Valencia, Murcia and Catalonia, but the major world producers are China, India, Ukraine, the United States, Egypt and Mexico.

Pumpkin properties

Pumpkin is not only a good culinary resource. Apart from being ideal for preparing soups and countless other nutritious dishes (sweet and savory)this vegetable It is very digestive, provides few calories and stands out for its multiple medicinal properties.

Pumpkin belongs to the cucurbit family, like melon, watermelon and cucumber.and was introduced into Europe in the 16th century although it had been consumed since ancient times in Latin America and Asiawhere it was held in high esteem as food and medicinal plant.

It is rich in antioxidants and minerals

This vegetable has a great vitamin wealth, especially beta-carotene or provitamin A and the other two antioxidant vitamins, C and E.

Another property of pumpkin is that it provides lycopene, the same antioxidant pigment as tomato, and several B vitamins (B2 and B6 and folic acid).

Among its minerals, the potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. Apart from being low in calories, it is one of the most medicinal foods in our garden.

Helps with gastritis

The pumpkin Cooked, it has excellent therapeutic properties in stomach and intestinal inflammation.and its consumption is very beneficial in cases of chronic gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.

For the acute gastritis is a good treatment abstain from food for a day and insteadr drink throughout the day the decoction of 150 g of pumpkin pulp in one and a half liters of water. Let it cook for 20 minutes and eat it at warm temperature, without sweetening.

It is diuretic

The fruit of the pumpkin It is also a diuretic and helps eliminate retained fluids, making it recommended for those who suffer from dropsy.

For the same reason, prevents kidney stones and bladder discomfortbeing a remedy of great value in kidney ailmentswhich helps to fulfill their cleansing and detoxifying function without the need to ingest medications.

An aid in diabetes

Another highly valuable virtue of pumpkin pulp is its ability to stimulate the function of the pancreas, so it constitutes a important help for diabetics to regulate your blood sugar level.

Many insulin-dependent people improve and reduce their need for insulin by taking it every day. two glasses of raw pumpkin juice: one in the morning and another half an hour before breakfast.

By reducing the anxiety towards sweets that so many diabetic patients feel, its properties are multiplied, so that This vegetable should be present in the diet of every diabetic almost daily..

Suitable for colds

The fruit of the pumpkin It also promotes the elimination of mucus of the lungs, bronchi and throat, which is why it is revealed as a valuable resource when it comes to improving symptoms and accelerating the healing process of the winter colds and flu.

Alidade for skin health

The pulp of raw pumpkin crushed and Applied to minor burns, it is highly healing and reduces pain.

It is also useful the juice obtained in a blender to remove skin spots and irregular pigmentations. Anointing the area with its juice twice a day can make these traces disappear.

Helps maintain weight

Furthermore, the pumpkin It is satiating and nourishes the body with complex sugars that are slowly assimilated.so mixed with potato, carrot, leek, cabbage… it’s a excellent dish to maintain weight during the cold seasonin which too many fats and high-calorie foods are usually consumed.

Improves cholesterol and hypertension

The habitual consumption of pumpkin seeds, Due to its richness in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, it reduces triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. in blood

Since the body does not manufacture this type of oil, they must be ingested with food, and a good source of them are these consumed pipes. raw, since toasted fatty acids deteriorate and lose value.

Also regulate hypertensionso they are a small help in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

pumpkin seeds: Properties

Even with all the virtues that pumpkin pulp has, it is its seeds that concentrate their nutritional and healing richnessand throwing them away is a real waste.

By being very rich in zinc, a mineral essential for the health of the male genital systemare a true medicine to combat prostate problems.

To treat ailments of this organ, it is advisable to take 40 or 50 raw pumpkin seeds with mealsalthough it can also make a drink with them of pleasant flavor adding to half a liter of soy milk the seeds and passing the mixture through the blender until the seeds are crushed well. If desired, it can be sweetened with a teaspoon of honey and is taken throughout the day.

• Raw and dried, pumpkin seeds make a healthy appetizer or snack. Among its minerals, magnesium stands out, important for the cardiovascular and nervous systems: 50 grams cover half of the daily needs.
• Furthermore, its richness in zinc, relatively unusual in plant foods, keeps the immune system in good conditionoy prevents frequent colds, chronic fatigue or depression.
• In children, improves learning and school monitoring. Also due to the richness in zinc, the favorable incidence of the seeds in preventing and treating benign prostatic hyperplasia is known. The presence of tryptophan in the seeds also helps to relax the nervous system and promote sleep.
• Traditionally it was known that pumpkin seeds improved eye health and increased vision. This fact is related to its high beta-carotene content and, as on many occasions, popular medicine was not wrong: within the group of carotenoids the so-called xanthophylls are classified, among which are lutein, a substance that reduces night blindness, eye fatigue, cataracts, glaucoma and the dreaded macular degeneration.
• They are a great ally of the immune system, so consuming them or taking their oil will help deal with colds and flu.
• These nuggets are also a vermifuge and tenifuge of the first ordercapable of expelling intestinal worms and tapeworms from the intestine.
• Lastly, these excellent pipes possess estimable anti-inflammatory propertiesbeing very useful consumption in arthritis and osteoarthritissince they reduce pain without causing the side effects of the medications prescribed for this purpose.

There is on the market a oil made from pumpkin seeds, although it has the danger of becoming rancid and losing its qualities, so must be savedwhether it comes in a bottle or in capsulesprotected from light and preferably in the refrigerator.

Nutritional value of pumpkin

The nutritional value per 100 g of pumpkin is as follows:

• Calories: 26 (109 kJ)
• Omega 3 fatty acids: 3mg
• Omega 6 fatty acids: 2mg
• Fiber: 0.5g
• Vitamin A: 7386 IU
• Vitamin C: 9mg
• Folates: 16 mcg
• Calcium: 21mg
• Iron: 0.8 mg
• Phosphorus: 44mg
• Potassium: 340mg

Pumpkin seeds: nutritional value

Although the pulp from the pumpkin it turns out healthy, versatile and tastyare their nuggets those that really contain a exceptional nutritional value.

Given their low caloriespumpkin can be taken in large quantities.

A 100 g serving already covers more than 40% of the daily needs of beta-carotene and 15% of the daily needs of vitamin Cin addition to providing a wide assortment of minerals in small quantities.

The seeds They also provide many nutrients, in spectacular quantities. They contribute more protein than meat or fishalthough they are consumed in smaller quantities.

30 g of seeds They cover 15% of the daily protein needs and almost 50% of minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium. Also more of the quarter of iron and almost a fifth of those of manganese. Furthermore, its content is important in zinc (15%) and copper (10%).

Regarding vitamins, the presence of vitamin E (30 g covers the 14% of daily needs), of folic acid (9%) and those of the group B.

In 100 gPulpSeedsCalories26541Fats0.1 g45.9 gH. carbon6.5 g17.8 gFiber0.5 g3.9 gProteins1 g24.5 gWater91.6 g6.9 gPotassium340 mg807 mgCalcium21 mg43 mgPhosphorus44 mg1174 mgMagnesium12 mg535 mgIron0.8 mg14.97 mgZinc0.32 mg7.46 mgCopper0.127 mg1.39 mg Vitamin A369 mcg19 mcgVitamin B10.05 mg0.21 mgVitamin B2O,11 mg0.32 mgVitamin B3 0.6 mg1.75 mgVitamin B50.298 mg0.34 mgVitamin B60.061 mg0.22 mg Vitamin B916 mcg58 mcgVitamin C9 mg1.90…