Winter is the perfect time to eat pumpkin. Pumpkin is quite beneficial to human health and has many effects.
1. Boost Immunity Pumpkin polysaccharide in pumpkin is a non-specific immune enhancer that can improve the body's immune function, promote cytokine production, and regulate the immune system through various pathways such as activating complement.
2. Protect Vision The rich carotenoids in pumpkin can be converted into vitamin A, which has important physiological functions, thus playing a vital role in the growth and differentiation of epithelial tissues, maintaining normal vision, and promoting bone development.
Steamed Bun with Flower Topping
3. Prevent Osteoporosis and Hypertension Pumpkin is high in calcium and potassium but low in sodium, making it especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people and patients with hypertension, helping to prevent osteoporosis and high blood pressure. In addition, it also contains elements such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, and boron.
4. Warm the Stomach According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pumpkin is warm in nature and sweet in taste, and it acts on the spleen and stomach meridians. It can tonify the middle and benefit Qi, making it an excellent food for warming and protecting the stomach in autumn and winter. Pumpkin fruit contains 7%-17% pectin, which has strong adsorption capacity and can eliminate harmful bacteria and toxic substances in the human body, protecting the digestive tract mucosa.
Pumpkin and Fresh Vegetable Soup
5. Protect the Prostate The lipid substances in pumpkin seeds have good therapeutic and preventive effects on urinary system diseases and prostate hyperplasia.
6. Increase Resistance Starch is converted into glucose in the human body, and the starch in pumpkin also contains other nutrients, which can enhance the body's resistance.
Pumpkin Layered Steamed Cake
7. Aid Sleep Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin. This neurotransmitter has a relaxing effect on the mind, can relieve tension, and also improve mood, thus aiding sleep.
8. Promote Growth and Development Pumpkin is rich in zinc, which is involved in the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins in the human body. It is an inherent component of adrenal cortical hormones and an important substance for human development.
Pumpkin and Red Date Soup