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The liver is one of the most important organs of the human body. Its main function is to cleanse the blood of toxic substances and decay products. After passing through the liver, purified blood returns to other organs, carrying only useful substances. And it is not at all surprising that with such a load, the liver can fail. Therefore, she needs support. And if there are no special reasons for serious treatment yet, then you can resort to folk methods of maintaining and restoring liver function. Pumpkin with honey is considered the most useful among other folk remedies that allow you to restore the functioning of internal organs and strengthen them.
Composition and value of pumpkin with honey
Pumpkin is recommended for consumption by both adults and children. It is hypoallergenic and healthy, it contains a huge amount of vitamins, acids and minerals. It is difficult to find a similar fruit in the world that could outshine the pumpkin in terms of the amount of nutrients. It contains vitamins A, groups B, C, E, K, which contribute to the regeneration and restoration of hepatocyte cells, the removal of cholesterol, and clear the patency of the bile ducts. Vitamins of group B are especially important for the proper functioning of the liver, which ensure the proper functioning of the organ, normalize the synthesis of proteins and carbohydrates, and are also responsible for energy metabolism in the body.
Honey, in turn, also has more than 300 trace elements necessary for the proper functioning of all organs, including the liver.
Pumpkin with honey is an even more useful remedy for the liver and gallbladder, because it has a slight diuretic, laxative and choleretic properties. This combination is recommended to be eaten by those who, for medical reasons, have been prescribed a strict diet.
How pumpkin affects the liver
Pumpkin for the liver, as well as for other organs of the human body, is one of the most useful products. It contains a large amount of fiber, which aids digestion. The presence of carotenoids, pectins, calcium, iron and magnesium in its composition helps restore liver cells, promotes the regeneration of hepatocytes, and also prevents their death.
Thanks to pectins, fats are broken down and cholesterol and mineral salts are removed from the body. This kind of impact helps the liver cope with its filtering task much easier and faster.
How to cook pumpkin with honey
Pumpkin in combination with honey is used for treatment in various variations. The orange fruit can simply be peeled, grated, poured with honey and used as a dessert. With this combination, you can also cook many delicious and sweet dishes in the form of porridge or casseroles.
Traditional option
The traditional option for preparing pumpkin with honey for treating the liver is the recipe for pumpkin-honey nectar. You can prepare such a sweet, but very healthy drink without much effort.
Ingredients:
- small pumpkin (up to 3 kg) – 1 pc.;
- natural honey (liquid) – 1-1,5 tbsp.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the pumpkin thoroughly. Cut off the upper part with the stalk (it should not be thrown away, it will act as a cover).
- Then you need to carefully remove the unfit for food inside (seeds and fibers). In this case, the pulp should remain.
- In the resulting improvised pumpkin pot, you need to pour liquid natural honey (about half).
- Close with a cut top and put in a cold place without sunlight.
Insist remedy for 10 days. After that, it is taken out, the honey is mixed and poured into a separate container.
It is recommended to take honey-pumpkin nectar 3 times a day, 1 tbsp. l. 25-30 minutes before meals for 3 weeks. It is necessary to store the product in the refrigerator.
In the oven
No less popular in the treatment of the liver is a recipe for pumpkin with honey, baked in the oven. At the same time, such a medicine is not only useful, but also very tasty. It is even difficult to call it a medicine, because it is a real dessert.
The easiest way to bake a pumpkin with honey in the oven is with slices. To do this, choose a small-sized pumpkin.
Ingredients:
- small pumpkin – 1 pc.;
- liquid natural honey – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Butter – 50
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the pumpkin thoroughly and cut in half (you can remove the peel if desired). Then remove the inedible part with fibers and seeds.
- Cut the peeled halves into slices 1,5-2 cm thick.
- Transfer the pumpkin slices to a deep bowl and pour over the honey. Stir so that all the pulp is covered with it.
- Let it brew for 3-6 hours until juice appears.
- Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put on a slice and pour over the allocated juice.
- Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake for 10-20 minutes. The time depends on the thickness of the slices, so you should check the readiness with a wooden skewer.
- When the pulp is soft enough, the baking sheet is removed, the pumpkin is smeared with butter and sent back to the oven. Bake at 200 degrees for 5-8 minutes.
- The oven is turned off, the pumpkin in honey is removed and allowed to cool.
In the microwave
There is another option for cooking pumpkin with honey, which takes a little time – this is baking in the microwave. According to most reviews, pumpkin with honey for liver treatment, cooked in a microwave oven, is practically no different from baked in the oven.
To prepare this dish, you need to take:
- pumpkin pulp – 300 g;
- natural honey – 2 tbsp. l.;
- lemon juice – 1-2 tsp;
- fruits – optional.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the pumpkin and remove the skin and seeds. Then the pulp is cut into small cubes.
- You also need to do with other fruits that were taken at will (you can not add them).
- Put the chopped pulp in a special dish for the microwave. Pour everything with a few tablespoons of honey.
- Then you need to sprinkle everything with lemon juice and let it brew for some time (5-10 minutes).
- Put in the microwave, set the maximum power and bake for 4 minutes until soft.
It is recommended to consume such a sweet dish for preventive purposes no more than one serving per day.
How to take pumpkin with honey
It seems to many that the treatment of the liver with pumpkin in combination with honey is a waste of time, because the improvement is not immediately visible. In fact, it is impossible to get an instant effect from any drug, and from folk remedies, the result appears only with proper and regular use. Therefore, a certain course of treatment should be carried out, in this case, it takes at least 3 weeks to use pumpkin with honey, after which you can take a break of 5-7 days and repeat the three-week course again.
Improvements can occur after 2 months, if, in addition to the pumpkin-honey diet, you also follow a healthy lifestyle. During the period of the preventive or therapeutic course of liver cleansing, you should not consume alcoholic beverages, fried, spicy or smoked foods, and you must also adhere to the correct daily routine. The reviews of many people prove that the use of pumpkin with honey for the treatment of the liver gives the greatest effect only with proper nutrition, timely rest and moderate physical activity.
How to clean the liver with pumpkin and honey
In cases where the liver does not bother, you can resort to preventive measures for cleansing the organ. After all, it is better to prevent the development of liver disease than to treat it after.
Cleansing the liver with pumpkin in combination with honey is beneficial not only for the functioning of this organ, but also for the healing of the whole organism. Compliance with the diet will also improve digestion and improve the process of the pancreas.
To cleanse the liver, you can use:
- Freshly squeezed pumpkin juice with honey. It must be administered with 100 ml, increasing daily to a daily rate of 200 ml. Drink this drink should be in the morning. To improve the taste, you can dilute it with other fruit juices or increase the amount of honey.
- Pulp with honey. It is recommended for breakfast to consume one serving (250-300 g) of grated raw pumpkin pulp seasoned with honey. If there are problems with digestion (bloating, colic), you can resort to extinguishing the pulp.
- Oil. Pumpkin seed oil is also helpful in cleansing the liver. It is enough to use it for 1 tsp. per day. You can dilute the oil with honey to improve the taste. Reception should be carried out continuously for 4 weeks, then take a break for a week and repeat the course.
Limitations and contraindications
Like all medicines, pumpkin with honey can bring both benefit and harm to the body. And if everything is clear with the useful qualities of this folk remedy, then you should figure out what contraindications it has.
Limit the use of pumpkin in combination with honey for people who suffer from high acidity, as well as for serious gastrointestinal disorders. This also applies to those cases when, after eating pumpkin, symptoms of bloating appear, such as gas formation, cramps and colic.
It is contraindicated to adhere to a pumpkin-honey diet for gastritis or peptic ulcer, diabetes mellitus, and also in the presence of allergic reactions to one of the main ingredients.
During pregnancy, you should also refuse to cook pumpkin dishes or limit their use.
Conclusion
Pumpkin with honey is a good prophylactic for maintaining liver function. But it should be understood that this method of treatment will not be effective if you do not follow proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Liver diseases can have serious consequences that cannot be eliminated without medication, so it is better to prevent their development and regularly cleanse the body.