Pumpkin: A Superfood
When people think of pumpkins, we think of Halloween and carving silly faces, but rarely do we think of pumpkin as a superfood. Well guess what? It is. Pumpkins, which are members of the gourd family, are actually fruit. Available all year long in canned form, pumpkins are inexpensive and can be easily incorporated into a variety of recipes. Here are some of its powerful nutrients:
- Extremely high in fiber
- Low in calories
- Packs an abundance of disease-fighting nutrients, including potassium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and vitamins C and E
- Contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to man
- The key nutrient that boosts pumpkin to the top of the SuperFoods list is the synergistic combination of carotenoids
- Carotenoids are deep orange-, yellow-, or red-colored, fat-soluble compounds that occur in a variety of plants. They protect the plants from sun damage while
they help them attract birds and insects for pollination - Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health- promoting and disease-fighting activities
- They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including those of the lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast, and skin
- Women with the highest concentrations of carotenes in their diets had the lowest risk of breast cancer
- Carotenoids have also shown great promise in their ability to lower rates of heart disease
- Carotenoid consumption also decreases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration
- The two carotenoids that are richly present in pumpkin-beta- and alpha- carotene-are particularly potent phytonutrients
- Scientists reasoned that the beta-carotene in pumpkins helped to prevent lung cancer
- Studies have also shown that a good intake of beta-carotene can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer, possibly by protecting colon cells from the
damaging effects of cancer-causing chemicals
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Some pumpkin recipes include:
- Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
Use organic when possible
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
- Dash pepper
- 1/2 cup half-and-half cream or evaporated milk
- Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Directions:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until tender. Add the broth, pumpkin, lemon juice, curry powder, sugar, salt if desired and pepper; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cream; heat through. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 4 servings.
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