Pumpkins are native to America and have been in existence for more than 5000 years now. While pumpkin is considered a vegetable, scientifically, it is a fruit.
Pumpkins taste delicious and you can make amazing lip-smacking dishes. Pumpkins are also widely used in decorations to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving.
But do you know there are amazing health benefits of pumpkin leaves?
Pumpkin leaves are dark green in color and are loaded with iron, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, copper, vitamins A, B, C, and K.
In many parts of the world, especially in India, Korea, Malaysia, and some African countries, pumpkin leaves are consumed in abundance. Its taste resembles green beans and broccoli.
You can grow and harvest delicious pumpkins in your own backyard and can consume the fresh pumpkin leaves as well.
Nutritional value of pumpkin leaves
Pumpkin leaf is a great source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. As per the study, consuming 78 grams of pumpkin leaves can give you 0.162 mg B6, 0.276 mg Manganese, 82 mg Phosphorus, 0.104 copper, 8.6 Vitamin C.
Health benefits of pumpkin leaves
- Great immunity booster. Pumpkin leaves contain iron in abundance. Iron provides a great cushion against various diseases and provides immunity against many infections.
- Helps with rheumatoid arthritis. Pumpkin leaves are rich in vitamin B6. A low level of vitamin B6 might flare up the inflammation in joints, leading to rheumatoid arthritis. Foods rich in vitamin B6 can help to treat rheumatoid arthritis. So consuming pumpkin leaves regularly can help soothe the unrelenting joint pains.
- Strengthens the bones. Since pumpkin leaves contain a high amount of calcium and phosphorus, daily consumption of the leaves will help in strengthening the bones as well as teeth.
- Protection against colon cancer. Pumpkin leaves are fiber-rich. Studies have shown that intake of fiber-rich food promotes decreased chances of colon cancer. So regular consumption of fiber-rich foods like pumpkin leaves will go a long way in providing protection against colon cancer.
- Improved heart health. Soluble fibers help in reduced absorption of cholesterol and that helps to maintain a healthy blood cholesterol level. Pumpkin leaves are rich in soluble fibers. These soluble fibers help to reduce the blood cholesterol level and promote a healthy heart.
- Helps with constipation. As discussed earlier, pumpkin leaves contain a lot of fibers. Fibers make bowel movement easier. More fibers in the food make the stool soft and come out without any effort. Fewer fibers in food lead to stool being hard and bowel movement difficult. Persistent constipation might lead to other ailments like piles and hemorrhoids. Adding fresh pumpkin leaves to your daily diet will help in a great way to get rid of constipation,
- Helps with PMS (premenstrual syndrome). PMS is very common these days and a majority of women go through this. PMS symptoms like mood swings, depression, and irritability can affect the quality of life. Foods rich in manganese can help reduce these symptoms. Consumption of pumpkin leaf can be a great choice as it contains a lot of manganese. So one can consider adding pumpkin leaf as a dietary supplement.
- Helps in skincare. Vitamin A helps the body to keep the toxins and free radicals at bay. These toxins and free radicals pose a potential danger to skin damage. Pumpkin leaf contains a high amount of vitamin A. Regular consumption of pumpkin leaf can help in moisture retention, which can prevent dryness in the skin and also conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Promotes dental health. As we have already discussed, pumpkin leaf contain a lot of calcium and phosphorus. Phosphorus and calcium are very important for healthy bones. Calcium, vitamin D along with phosphorus help the overall well-being of dental health. It keeps the gum and teeth strong and also helps to minimize tooth decay.
Conclusion
Pumpkin leaves are great sources of so many healthy vitamins and minerals. Adding the pumpkin leaves to your regular diet can help you immensely to be healthy and take care of so many aspects of your body.
The best part is that you can easily grow pumpkins in your own backyard and consume the delicacy of both pumpkins as well as pumpkin leaves.
Please share your experience of consuming pumpkin leaves and the benefits that you have derived.
