beautress
Always Faithful
I loaded "low calorie fruits" into Bing! and found a good solution for those of us who have to use anything and everything just to prevent ballooning into a larger size because our ability to burn calories goes out the window with aging. Love ya!
In 2006 my late husband and I went to Canada and rode a train from someplace East of Toronto to Vancouver, which is practically on the Western Coast of Canada. Somewhere along the line, we stopped for sightseeing purposes, it might have been in an extremely posh hotel in Toronto. Anyhow, I asked for soup, and they furnished this wonderful bowl of pumpkin soup. I wish I had the recipe. I've been reading good things about pumpkins in the local grocery's nutrition magazines, and it's mind-boggling what their nutritive benefits prevent.
Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. Though this humble backyard vegetable is low in calories, nonetheless, it packed with vitamin-A, and flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.
Pumpkin is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the surface in a similar fashion as that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes, etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including in the USA at commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.
Pumpkin is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the surface in a similar fashion as that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes, etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including in the USA at commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
- It is one of the very low-calorie vegetables. 100 g fruit provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. The vegetable is one of the food items recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
- Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C, and vitamin-E.
- At 7,384 mg per 100 g, it is one of the vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family featuring highest levels of vitamin-A, providing about 246% of RDA. Vitamin-A is a powerful natural antioxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucosa. It is also an essential vitamin for good eyesight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin-A may help the human body protect against lung and oral cavity cancers.
- It is also an excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α, ß-carotenes, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin-A inside the human body.
- Zea-xanthin is a natural anti-oxidant which has UV (ultra-violet) rays filtering actions in the macula lutea in the retina of the eyes. Thus, it may offer protection from "age-related macular disease" (ARMD) in the older adults.
- The fruit is a good source of the B-complex group of vitamins like folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.
- It is also a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
- Pumpkin seeds Pumpkin seeds indeed are an excellent source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for heart health. Also, the seeds are concentrated sources of protein, minerals, and health-benefiting vitamins. For instance, 100 g of pumpkin seeds provide 559 calories, 30 g of protein, 110% RDA of iron, 4987 mg of niacin (31% RDA), selenium (17% of RDA), zinc (71%), etc., but zero cholesterol. Further, the seeds are an excellent source of health promoting amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan converted into GABA in the brain.
- Credits (if the forum allows it): Pumpkin nutrition facts and health benefits
