Health Benefits of Pumpkin Report Topics

Who doesn’t love pumpkin? It seems to be the go-to food during the fall season since it 
is hearty, delicious, and is wonderful when paired with fall spices like cinnamon, 
nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. It is also great to pair with other fall fruits and vegetables 
like butternut squash, apples, cranberries, and many more. 

While you may know all about how to use pumpkin in delicious recipes, you may not be 
aware of how healthy it is. Pumpkin is actually considered a superfood because it 
contains a high amount of vitamins and minerals. It is relatively low in fat and can 
replace a lot of fattening ingredients in traditional recipes. You can even make healthy 
dog treats with pumpkin!

Here is more information about the health benefits of pumpkin and why you should 
consider using it more in the fall season.

1. Pumpkin is Nutrient-Dense

Before going into the specific health benefits of pumpkin, you should know why it is 
good overall and what makes pumpkin a superfood. In short – it is loaded with vitamins 
and minerals. Pumpkin is nutrient-dense, including all parts of the pumpkin. This 
includes the skin, flesh, and the seeds. You can take a pumpkin and roast the flesh of 
the pumpkin and the seeds, using each of them for different recipes. 

Among the different nutrients included in pumpkin and vitamin C and vitamin E. These 
tend to be higher than other nutrients. With vitamin E, you will have healthy hair and 
skin, and can even protect your skin from the sun’s harsh UV rays. Vitamin C is great 
for boosting your immune system.

Pumpkin is also a wonderful source of fiber, which you need for your digestive health. It 
can improve your digestion and even help you lose weight. Fiber is also great for 
keeping your cholesterol levels at a decent level. Additional nutrients in the pumpkin 
seeds include:

Vitamin E 
Iron 
Magnesium 
Omega-3 fatty acids 
Zinc 
Potassium

In addition to these nutrients, pumpkin also has vitamin B5, magnesium, and potassium. 
As you can see, it is a very versatile food with a lot of exceptional and healthy options 
for the fall season.

2. There is Lots of Fiber

One of the top health benefits of pumpkin and the pumpkin seeds is that there is fiber. 
You really need fiber no matter what your current health status is. Whether you are 
trying to lose weight or simply want to improve your overall health, fiber is really at the 
top of the list for nutrients that are good for you.

The problem is that many people don’t get enough fiber in their diet, especially if they 
don’t follow a healthy diet in general. If you have trouble eating bread and whole grains 
where a lot of people get their fiber, then pumpkin is the next best thing. The fiber 
content is a little different depending on if you make puree from fresh pumpkin, or you 
use canned pumpkin.

With fresh pumpkin or pumpkin puree you make at home, you get about 2.7 grams of 
fiber per pump of the pumpkin. This is also only about 50 calories for a cup, so it is a 
great option when adding to various recipes. If you prefer using pure canned pumpkin, 
then a cup has approximately 7 grams of fiber. It is considerably more due to the added 
ingredients in canned pumpkin, but a little higher in calories at 80 calories per cup. As 
always, make sure you are using pure pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling.

Why You Need Fiber in Your Diet

Still not convinced about having more fiber in your diet? Consider these benefits of 
eating high-fiber foods like pumpkin:

You have better bowel health 
It regulates your blood sugar levels 
Fiber helps to reduce your cholesterol levels 
You can improve your digestive health 
It is amazing for weight loss

If you feel like you are not getting enough fiber in your diet, consider adding pumpkin to 
more of your meals and desserts.

3. It Can Reduce Your Blood Pressure

If you are someone that struggles with high blood pressure, also known as 
hypertension, that you might be curious about ways you can change your diet that will 
help out. As you know, high blood pressure is known as the silent killer. This is because 
it can sneak up on you and lead to heart disease, stroke, or even death without hardly 
any symptoms. The best way to know if you have high blood pressure is to ask your 
doctor.

As many people with high blood pressure know, the key to lowering it is not only 
through medications, but with healthy lifestyle changes. This often includes exercising 
more, making sure you get enough vitamins and minerals, and changing your diet. This 
can seem like a lot, but with small changes, you can make a large impact on your 
health. 

How Pumpkin Helps with Lowering Your Blood Pressure

So, how can pumpkin help? Easy – it is full of phytoestrogens. These are important 
nutrients for reducing and even preventing hypertension. But that’s not the only reason 
it helps with blood pressure and heart health. Many of the vitamins and minerals in 
pumpkin flesh and the seeds can help your overall health, which helps reduce your 
blood pressure. It is also excellent for helping you to lose weight and is a low-fat food, 
so there are a lot of benefits here.

How to Reduce Your Blood Pressure with Pumpkin

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, the first thing you want to do is 
find healthy recipes that use pumpkin. It is best that you start with foods you already 
enjoy, as it won’t feel as much like a ‘diet’, but more like you are just adding something 
to your current diet. 

This can be anything from having your morning smoothie with some pureed pumpkin to 
adding a little pumpkin to your salads when you already have butternut squash in them. 
If you want a sweet treat, make pumpkin muffins or cookies, as they are often more 
nutrient-rich than traditional baked goods.

4. You Get Vision Protection

Moving onto the next health benefit: vision! Everyone should be concerned about their 
vision, no matter what your age or health is at this moment. From children to senior 
citizens, protecting your vision really needs to be top priority. While it is true that many 
conditions affecting the eye, like cataracts and macular degeneration, are considered 
age-related conditions, you can still protect your eye at a younger age.

Protecting your vision and eye health comes down to several things. First, you want to 
always protect your eyes from the sun. Any time you are outdoors during the day, make 
sure you are wearing sunglasses and that you never look directly at the sun. The next 
thing is to be sure your eyes are lubricated enough, which means using drops if they get 
dry. You should also try not to look directly at screens for too long without looking away 
to give your eyes a break.

Another way you can protect your eyes is through a healthy diet, especially one rich in 
vitamin A. Also known as beta-carotene, vitamin A can help reduce your risk of eye 
conditions, protect your vision, and even improve how well you see in dimly-lit rooms. A 
variety of fruits and vegetables will give you enough of this vitamin, including pumpkins. 
One thing you will notice is that most foods with beta-carotene are an orange color due 
to the carotenoids in them. This includes carrots in addition to pumpkin and butternut 
squash.

5. Pumpkin Reduces Cancer Risk

By now, you can tell that pumpkin has a lot of amazing health benefits for you. It is 
loaded with vitamins and minerals, helps your vision, and can even aid in lowering your 
blood pressure. Another important health benefit is that it may be able to reduce your 
risk of cancer. This is also due to the beta-carotene or vitamin A in pumpkin.
There have been studies performed that look at the connection between a beta-
carotene deficiency and a link to cancer. They noticed there was a reduced risk 
particularly of prostate cancer when men were getting enough of this nutrient in their 
regular diet. 

To get the vitamin, you can take a vitamin or multi-vitamin each day, or simply try to get 
it through your diet. You already know pumpkin is a good source of beta-carotene, but 
here are some other foods to not miss out on as well:

Spinach 
Kale 
Carrots 
Butternut squash 
Sweet potatoes 
turnip greens

As you can see, all of these vegetables are available in the fall, so you can make salads 
and soups with any combination of fall veggies and you will have enough of this vitamin 
to reduce your risk for cancer. 

Other nutrients in pumpkin that help with cancer prevention are vitamin E, vitamin C, 
and of course the antioxidants. 

6. You Will Have Glowing Skin

One of the health benefits that tends to surprise a lot of people is that pumpkin can 
actually help with the protection and health of your skin. Just about everyone wants 
better skin, from reducing acne to having a glowing complexion, but it isn’t all about the 
expensive products you use. Sometimes, it has more to do with your lifestyle, including 
eating a healthy diet and drinking a lot of water.

Pumpkin contains important nutrients your skin needs, including carotenoids. You 
learned about these when discussing the vision benefits of beta-carotene. This is just 
one carotenoid, along with lycopene and lutein. They are not only great at fighting 
cancer, but also for helping your skin to be protection from sun damage and the signs of 
aging.

By eating more pumpkin, you are getting the nutrients your skin needs to be healthy and 
well protected, not to mention all the benefits of those added antioxidants and other 
vitamins in pumpkin.

7. It Boosts Your Immune System

Pumpkin is typically in season during late summer and through the fall, which is great 
because this is when people often want pumpkin spiced treats and foods. It is also good 
because this is when many people are prone to colds and allergy attacks. 

One of the top health benefits of pumpkin is the fact that it can boost your immunity. It is 
done with vitamins like beta carotene and vitamin C, both of which are amazing for your 
immune system. When you get these natural boosts to your immune system, you will 
then be able to fight off the common cold, infections, and allergies. 

In order for it help you effectively, it is best to have your pumpkin on a daily basis. Here 
are some different ways to enjoy pumpkin every single day:

Have a pumpkin smoothie with yogurt, milk, and spices. 

Enjoy diced pumpkin in a fall salad with butternut squash, apples, kale, and dried 
cranberries. 

Have a warm bowl of pumpkin soup on a chilly evening.
 
Make a healthy dessert with pumpkin, such as muffins or cookies.

8. Pumpkin Helps Your Heart Health

Lastly, you should know that pumpkin is great for heart health. You already know that 
the nutrients in pumpkin are good for your blood pressure, but they also help your heart 
in other ways. It is important for everyone to pay attention to their cardiovascular health 
in order to be healthy overall, but also to reduce complications like heart disease, 
stroke, and heart attack.

In addition to the other nutrients in pumpkin, it is the fiber that is going to help with your 
heart health the most. Having a diet higher in fiber can reduce your risk for coronary 
heart disease, according to a study done at Harvard University. More fiber can also help 
you to lose weight, which as you know is also good for your heart health. 

So, start adding more pumpkin to your diet to help your heart and benefit from all the 
other vitamins and minerals it contains.
