Nutritional & Health Benefits of Pumpkin and Its Seeds

When people think of pumpkins, few think of them as being a healthy food. I saw another pumpkin health article on AC but it just tackles pumpkin itself. Both pumpkins and, even more so, pumpkin seeds are very healthy and have many health benefits. Pumpkin is low in calories at only 15 calories per half a cup, making it great for weight watchers.

Pumpkin is a winter vegetable that is a member of the Cucurbitacea cucurbita family of plants. Being a winter vegetable, fresh pumpkins are only available in the fall and early winter.

Nutritional Values

Raw pumpkin only has 15 calories per 1/2 cup. It is high in Vitamin C and beta carotene and low in carbohydrates and calories with zero cholesterol

Prepared pumpkin for pie isn't as healthy as raw pumpkin but still not bad. One slice of pie (without crust) has 316 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 65mg of cholesterol, 5g of fat, and 349mg of sodium. On the upside, it is super high in beat carotene at 7366 micrograms. It has good levels of calcium, potassium, and vitamin A.

Pumpkin seeds have 373 calories per 1/2 cup. They are a good source of Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, and Manganese. They are also a good source of protein and fiber. They are a little high in fat but relatively low in carbohydrates with zero cholesterol.

Further Nutritional information is included at the end of this article.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are numerous. It has dozens of beneficial nutrients with properties that help maintain vital bodily functions and treat many ailments.

Pumpkin is orange because of the lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene, which convert to vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that helps against free radicals.

Pumpkin seeds contain carotenoids, omega-3 fats, and zinc, which are believed to be beneficial to the male prostate.

The zinc in pumpkin seeds help bone mineral density.

Studies have shown that the seed oil have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce pains of arthritis without negative side-effects.