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Like all orange-pigmented vegetables, pumpkins are rich
in beta carotene (the plant form of vitamin A). A half cup
of canned or baked pumpkin provides over 450 percent of the
adult Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A. Studies
have shown that this antioxidant may help prevent some forms
of cancer. Pumpkins are also shown to help fight colds, immune
diseases, and night blindness.
Pumpkins are high in vitamin C for all-around tissue building
and healing as well as 275mg of potassium for a healthy heart..
A half-cup serving supplies over 15 percent of the RDA of
Vitamin C. Both squash and pumpkin contain a good amount of
fiber that is a defense against the development of tumors.
A half cup of pumpkin has only 40 calories. Pumpkins are
very low in fat and are high in fiber. When you boil pumpkins,
they absorb water and lose some nutrients. We suggest you
bake pumpkins for optimum retention of nutrients.
In a report published by Graham A. Colditz et al. in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (January 1985), numerous
previous studies were cited that "have shown that cancer
risk is inversely related to the consumption of green and
yellow vegetables. " Particularly mentioned were lung,
gastrointestinal, bladder, and colon cancers. The report was
based on a study of more than 1,200 Massachusetts residents
66 years of age or older and demonstrated that those with
the highest intake of carotene-containing vegetables had the
lowest incidence of cancer.
The best part of pumpkin from nutritional point of view is
the part most of throw out when we carve pumpkins for the
Jack O' Lantern - viz., the seeds.
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