Pumpkin – the wealth of autumn.

The autumn brings to mind chilly evenings with raspberry tea, a forest path lined with golden and burgundy leaves, and luscious orange plants ripening in our gardens. But you don’t need a garden to prepare them and enjoy their natural riches, because in autumn they can be found in practically every shop. Today, a few words about pumpkin and its amazing properties.

The pumpkin is a member of the cucurbitaceae family, which includes cucumbers, courgettes, squash, melons and watermelons. It is native to South and Central America, where it was initially a cult object for the Indians, who attributed it with healing properties. Today, it can be found in many parts of the world and is ubiquitous in European and Asian cuisine and, of course, in North America.

Minerals and vitamins

Pumpkin has a sizeable nutritional profile, with 100 grams of flesh covering our daily requirements for potassium (at 10%), for copper (at 6%) and for manganese and riboflavin. This is pretty good, since we usually consume it in larger quantities (100 grams of flesh is less than half a glass). What’s more, it’s also a great source of antioxidant vitamins – namely A, C, E. Let’s remember that in order to absorb vitamins A and E, it is necessary to have fat in the dish, because they are fat-soluble vitamins and without its addition they cannot be used by the body.

Bioactive compounds – cancer and skin

The impressive nutritional profile is also due to the content of bioactive compounds. Pumpkin contains the carotenoids beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. These are pigments characterised by a strong antioxidant effect. The antioxidants contained in pumpkin neutralise the negative effect of free radicals so that they cannot harm our cells. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is one of the causes of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Carotenoids in the diet also reduce the risk of stomach, throat, skin, pancreas and breast cancers.

Antioxidants also have a significant impact on the appearance of the skin. Their optimal supply increases the skin’s protection against UV radiation and keeps it healthy in the long term [1].

Hypoglycaemic effect

Studies show that pumpkin (juice or extract) is great for people with type II diabetes. As you can read in Kulczynski et al. [bibliography, entry 3.] “Compounds present in pumpkin are thought to increase tissue sensitivity to insulin and may improve liver function and enhance glucose utilization.”

Supports the immune system

Pumpkin is an ideal plant to consume during autumn and winter, the season when infections accompany us more often than at other times of the year. The previously mentioned vitamins A, C and E support our immune system, as do iron, folate and carotenoids contained in pumpkin [2].

Will not jeopardise your figure

Pumpkin is low in calories – 100 grams is only 26 calories, and more than 90% of the weight of pumpkin is water. It can be included in a daily balanced diet. It is a good source of fibre, the appropriate supply of which helps peristalsis of the intestines (of course with an adequate supply of fluids). Fiber absorbs water and swells in the stomach, giving a feeling of satiety, which reduces appetite and the desire for snacking. Pumpkin, in its sweet version, can easily become a much healthier alternative to sweets.

Supports vision

Regular consumption of pumpkin has a beneficial effect on eyesight, reducing the risk of eye diseases. This is all thanks to the beta-carotene mentioned above, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin. According to Wang et al. [3], higher levels of beta-carotene significantly reduce the risk of cataracts, a cause of blindness.

Not only the flesh…
It is nutritionally rich. In cooking, we also use the very centre of the pumpkin, namely its seeds. These in turn are a good source of zinc, omega-3 acids and phytosterols. They make a great addition to oatmeal or salads. They can also serve as a separate snack, but uncontrolled snacking should be avoided, as they are high in energy (100 g = about 550 kcal).

Diuretic effect

As we can read in Sosińska [bibliography, item no. 4.] – flesh and fresh juice of pumpkin show diuretic effect. Their effect has been used in the treatment of kidney diseases, such as inflammation of the bladder or kidneys.

What can be prepared from pumpkin?

Everything, really. Pumpkin gives a really cool, distinctive base for dishes, both sweet and savoury. Here are some of my culinary inspirations:

cream soup: spicy version (with chilli, coconut milk), spicy version (with ginger and cumin), sweet version (with cinnamon, orange juice and sultanas),
pumpkin pie, sweet and savoury pies, pancakes, pumpkin cookies,
home-made preserves, e.g. pumpkin and orange jam, pumpkin puree, pumpkin and apple jam.
pumpkin coffee, cocktail with pumpkin puree,
Oatmeal, risotto, porridge – everywhere here the addition of pumpkin will be a great idea.

The easiest way is to make a puree, pasteurise in jars and enjoy the benefits of this fruit all year round or simply freeze.

Did you know that …
…the heaviest pumpkin weighed over a tonne? The one bred in Belia weighed 1190.5 kg.

Do you like pumpkin? Do you have any interesting pumpkin recipes? If you need ideas for healthy pumpkin recipes, you can find them in the Fitatu application in the “Recipes” section. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com

Bibliography:

Stahl W., Sies H., β-Carotene and other carotenoids in protection from sunlight, Am J Clin Nutr, 2012 Nov;96(5)
Veldhoen M., Ferreira C., Influence of nutrient-derived metabolites on lymphocyte immunity 2015 Jul;21(7), Epub 2015 Jun 29.
Wang A., Han J., Jiang Y., Zhang D.,Association of vitamin A and β-carotene with risk for age-related cataract: a meta-analysis, Nutrition 2014 Oct;30(10):1113-21
Kulczyński B., Człapka-Matyasik M., Gramza-Michałowska A.: Nutritional value of pumpkin. Bromatology and Toxicological Chemistry 2016, XLIX, 3, pp. 698-701.
Sosińska E.: Possibilities of using pumpkin pulp for food purposes