6 benefits of eating pumpkin with skin and seeds to help lose weight

The star food of Halloween is none other than pumpkin. Westerners like to hollow out pumpkins and carve ghost face lanterns, and then cook the pumpkin from the skin to the seeds into delicious dishes. In China, pumpkin can be eaten, used as rice, a vegetable, and used as medicine, and it is also an indispensable and important melon. According to research, pumpkin is not only a good ingredient for weight loss with high fiber and low calories, but also rich in vitamins. It has many health benefits, including being a superfood that can fight cancer, reduce diabetes, and prevent cataracts.

[Six benefits of pumpkin]

★Increase satiety

According to the American CNN website, pumpkin is rich in fiber, which helps slow down digestion and prolong the feeling of fullness. Registered dietitian Caroline Kaufman points out that one cup of commercially available canned pumpkin contains 7 grams of fiber, which is equivalent to the amount of fiber contained in two slices of whole-wheat bread.

In addition, pumpkin is very low in calories. According to the analysis of food nutritional data in Taiwan by the Ministry of Health and Welfare: 100 grams of pumpkin contains 90.8% water, only 24 calories, and only 0.2 grams of fat. Therefore, eating pumpkin not only absorbs fiber to suppress the feeling of hunger, but also replenishes water, increases satiety, and does not easily cause obesity.

★Prevent cataracts

The bright orange color of pumpkin actually comes from the rich beta-carotene. Once beta-carotene enters the body, it can be converted into vitamin A, which helps the retina receive and process light. Vitamin A can be stored in the liver and has antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-cancer functions. Pumpkin also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, and studies have shown that these two antioxidants help prevent cataracts and may even slow the possibility of macular degeneration.

★ Improve immunity

Autumn and winter are the peak seasons for virus invasion. If you want to improve your immunity, you might as well eat more pumpkin. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and can also resist viral invasion and reduce the risk of disease infection. In addition, when the human body lacks zinc, it will suffer from chronic fatigue, poor immune system, and impair children's learning ability. Pumpkin is rich in zinc and other minerals that can improve these problems. If you have a cold, pumpkin can also provide sufficient vitamin C to help patients recover as soon as possible. Additionally, pumpkin seed oil may help fight a variety of bacterial and fungal infections.

★ Anti-aging of the skin

Another great benefit of beta-carotene is that it helps protect your skin from damage by the sun, so that ultraviolet rays don’t leave “visiting” wrinkles on your face. Pumpkin pulp can also be made into a purely natural exfoliating mask. Just mix 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, an egg, a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of milk into a paste, then apply it on your face for about 20 minutes. After washing it off with warm water, you can feel the effect of improving skin quality.

★ Reduce the risk of cancer

Foreign studies have found that the beta-carotene in pumpkin can fight cancer, including a lower risk of prostate cancer and lung cancer. In addition, pumpkin is rich in nutrients such as plant sterols, lignin, zinc, etc., which can relieve prostate hypertrophy and prevent prostate cancer. Zinc is mainly found in the membrane inside the pumpkin seed shell, so it is best to eat the pumpkin with the skin and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are also rich in phytoestrogens, which can help postmenopausal women fight breast cancer. Studies have also shown that phytoestrogens can fight lung cancer.

★ Reduce diabetes

Animal experiments have shown that eating pumpkin can lower blood sugar, improve glucose tolerance and promote insulin secretion. Zhao Jiarong, a nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of Guangtian Hospital, said that diabetic patients must be careful when eating pumpkin. It is often found in clinical practice that many diabetic patients whose blood sugar levels are normally stable will experience an increase in blood sugar levels after consuming large amounts of pumpkin. This is because pumpkin is equivalent to a "staple food." If pumpkin is eaten with a meal, the patient will consume excessive starch, which is converted into sugar, causing blood sugar levels to soar. When you want to eat pumpkin, you can replace a quarter bowl of rice with half a bowl of pumpkin, which has about the same calories of 70 calories.

【Health Tips】:

There are many benefits to eating pumpkin. The Huffington Post website also mentioned that pumpkin seeds contain the amino acid tryptophan, which can help the secretion of serotonin and make people feel happy. However, you should be careful when eating pumpkin to lose weight, because although pumpkin is low in calories and rich in water and fiber, it is a root vegetable with a high starch content. It should be eaten as a staple food rather than a side dish to avoid consuming too many carbohydrates, which will be converted into accumulated sugar, leading to obesity or high blood sugar, and making you unable to be happy.