Pumpkin is a delicious vegetable and, fortunately for us, it will keep us company for a long time in the coming months. Pumpkin is versatile in the kitchen and every part of it can guarantee us important healthy properties and support for the immune system, especially now that we are entering autumn and we are more exposed to viruses. Recent research shows all the benefits of pumpkin and we’re talking about this today.
The study can be consulted online and was published in the journal Applied Food Research by a Pakistani team (Hussain et al, Applied Food Research, 2022).
Pumpkin, useful for the immune system is a precious source of beta carotene, zinc, selenium, and vitamins, such as C, A, and E. These nutrients have been shown to support the immune system, with a particular action against viruses of the respiratory tract. This is of considerable importance when it comes to strengthening the body to put it in the best conditions to face external threats, including influenza viruses and COVID-19.
Pumpkin, thanks to this characteristic, appears among the guidelines for a healthy diet both in the acute pandemic and in the subsequent period we are now experiencing, precisely because of its ability to boost immune defenses.
It should also be underlined that every part of the pumpkin, both the peel, the pulp, and the seeds, contains the nutrients necessary to support the immune system. Pumpkin, other propertiesPumpkin is anti-hypertensive, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and helps keep cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control.
Pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds are excellent products with antioxidant properties and are useful for reducing neuroinflammation. Not only that, oil and seeds counteract depression, stimulating the release of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that promotes a sense of well-being. Containing tocopherol, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and sterols, pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds are also anticancer.
Pumpkin, how to enjoy streaming and pan-cooking pumpkin reduce the loss of antioxidants during cooking, indeed, they can even increase the anti-free radical power of this vegetable. Not only that, it is also possible to use pumpkin flour or pumpkin puree to prepare bread, desserts, and cakes.
In this way, it is possible to make baked products rich in antioxidants. Excellent results have been observed by replacing up to 20% of normal flour with pumpkin flour. Another way to enjoy pumpkin is to serve it in the form of a creamy soup, perhaps with the addition of tempeh. In this case the pumpkin is first cooked in a pan with onion, leek, and extra virgin olive oil.
Then the water or vegetable broth is added, everything is brought to a boil and left to simmer for 15 minutes. With an immersion blender, you obtain pumpkin soup, which can be served with cubes of tempeh, which is a source of B vitamins useful for improving cognitive function. Precisely this combination, of pumpkin and tempeh, has been studied by science and has proven to be a precious ally in combating age-related diseases.