7 Health Benefits You Get by Eating Pumpkin This Halloween
It can promote weight loss
Shedding those extra pounds during Halloween may seem impossible, but pumpkins can actually be a great aid.
A single cup (245 grams) of pumpkin has no more than 50 calories and is made of 94% water. Due to the fact that it’s very high in nutrients, though, it also offers satiety, thus being a great meal choice – even in large quantities!
What’s more, pumpkin is a great source of healthy fiber that can reduce your appetite and prevent you from attacking the sweets drawer at night.
It keeps your heart healthy
Since pumpkins are high in potassium, vitamin C and fiber, it can improve your heart health tremendously especially in the long run.
For instance, a 2016 study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that people who consume foods rich in potassium are having lower blood pressure and reduced their risk of strokes.
The fact that pumpkins are so high in antioxidants also helps it protect you from the well known ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. Why is it bad?
When LDL cholesterol molecules oxidize in your body, they can accumulate on the walls of your blood vessels. This can prevent healthy blood flow, thus increasing the risk of blood clots or other serious heart problems.
It helps your skin
One cup of cooked pumpkin provides you with 245% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin A. Can you imagine that?
Luckily, vitamin A is known for acting much like a natural sunblock by protecting your skin from harmful UV sun rays. Carotenoids such as beta-carotene (where the vitamin A comes from) get through every organ in your body, including the skin.
The high content of vitamin C in pumpkins also promotes the production of collagen, a protein naturally created by your body that keeps your skin healthy and strong. Furthermore, you may also get a beauty benefit as this vitamin might reduce wrinkles in the long run!
