Pumpkin - a healthy fall food.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, you may be enjoying some leftovers like pumpkin pie or some sweet potato casserole.  Fall is a great time to enjoy some fall foods and many of these foods, like pumpkin, are loaded with good nutrition.  


Pumpkin – a very healthy, nutritious food.  So, enjoy that pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding.  Pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.  The beta-carotene gives pumpkin its orange coloring. Beta-carotene is super healthy as it helps prevent cancer, protects against asthma and for older folks helps reduce the risk of getting macular degeneration.  Additionally, pumpkin adds fiber to your day and many Americans aren’t getting enough fiber.  Besides pie, there are many other ways to enjoy pumpkin: pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and some even make pumpkin pancakes.  WebMD has a great article, 6 Surprising Health Benefits of Pumpkin.  These include:

  • Weight loss – because pumpkin provides fiber, it helps slow digestion and keeps you filling full longer.  It is also low in calories.  Yes, when you turn pumpkin into pie, pudding, etc., you do add sugar but pumpkin itself is a low-calorie food.
  • Sharper vision – vitamin A and beta-carotene are good for your eyes.  In addition to beta carotene, pumpkin has the healthy substances lutein and zeaxanthin.  Both are antioxidants that help prevent cataracts and as noted above may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
  • Immunity – lots of people are concerned about immunity right now and pumpkin can boost your immunity. How?  Because the beta-carotene turns into vitamin A which helps fight infections, fights viruses and fights off infectious diseases.  Besides beta-carotene, pumpkin has vitamin C which also helps fight infections.
  • Healthy skin – who doesn’t want younger, healthier looking skin?  Why would pumpkin promote healthy skin?  Once again, it is the beta-carotene.  I always tell my students, if they want healthy skin, eat foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A. Beta-carotene acts like a sun screen as it helps prevent wrinkles when exposed to sunlight.
  • Lower your cancer risk – How does beta-carotene lower your risk of some cancers?  Because pumpkin has both beta-carotene and vitamin C, these “are both antioxidants, and they act as shields for your cells against cancer-causing free radicals”.
  • Diabetes – what is the good news about pumpkin and diabetes?  Some studies have found that pumpkin may be beneficial to people with diabetes as pumpkin can lower blood sugar levels. Of course, once you turn that pumpkin into pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding, then you have the added sugar.  It would be interesting to learn if pumpkin pie is better for diabetics as a treat than other pies like lemon meringue pie.
  • Blood pressure – who would think that eating pumpkin would have anything to do with blood pressure?  But pumpkin is rich in the mineral potassium.  A study in 2017 found that diets rich in potassium can help reduce blood pressure.  Even pumpkin pie or pudding would be good in this regard as both are low in sodium but rich in potassium.  
Libby pumpkin pie.
  
If you have any leftover pumpkin pie or pumpkin pudding, enjoy it and tell everyone you are eating “healthy” as you enjoy your dessert.  MedicalNewsToday suggests making a “quick treat of pumpkin chocolate yogurt by combining Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin, honey, cinnamon, and cocoa powder”. 

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