6 reasons to include pumpkin in your diet in the fall

Feel full

Pumpkin seeds contain about 24% dietary fiber, while pumpkin pulp contains only 50 calories per cup and 0,5 g of fiber per 100 grams.

“Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, which keeps your appetite in check so you eat less overall,” says nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin.

Improve your eyesight

A cup of diced pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light. According to Harvard researchers, the vitamin has been found to slow the decline in retinal function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that causes severe visual impairment and often blindness. Bonus: Vitamin A also helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, and bones.

Lower your blood pressure

Pumpkin seed oil is loaded with phytoestrogens, which are helpful in preventing hypertension. A study was conducted that found that dietary pumpkin seed oil was able to lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure in as little as 12 weeks.

sleep better

Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps you stay calm during the day and sleep well at night. Tryptophan also helps the body release serotonin, which improves mood.

Protect yourself from disease

Pumpkin and its seeds are rich in beta-carotene and other antioxidants that protect our body from cancer. The seeds may also be especially beneficial for men. Researchers in Taiwan have found that pumpkin seed oil blocks unhealthy prostate growth.

A quarter cup of the seeds also contains about 2,75 grams of zinc (about 17% of the recommended daily intake for adults), which contributes to men’s sexual health. When young men in the Wayne University study restricted dietary zinc, they had significantly lower testosterone levels after 20 weeks.

Improve Heart Health

Also, the dietary fiber found in pumpkin may help protect your heart. One Harvard study of more than 40 health professionals found that those who ate high-fiber foods had a 000% lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who ate little fiber.

Another study by Swedish researchers found that women who eat a lot of fiber have a 25% lower risk of heart disease than those who eat less fiber.

Ekaterina Romanova Source:

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