It is August and hints of Spring are already about! We have started to get seeds ready for planting in our household, and we are very keen to eventually plant pumpkins and squash in a dedicated area of the garden.
Pumpkin soup and fish pie (using mashed pumpkin instead of mashed potato as the top layer), are big favourites in our household!).
Here are 10 interesting and GREAT-TO-KNOW organic food facts all about pumpkins I recently discovered..... who knew pumpkins were so good for us!
2. Pumpkin seed is a rich source of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds that may act as chemopreventive agents against cancer.
3. Pumpkins contain carotene and beta-carotene, which are good for the immune system, as well as our skin and eye health. Carotenoids give winter squash (and pumpkins) their yellow and orange colors and help protect the body's cells from damage.
4. Pumpkin is packed with fibre, potassium (which is good for blood pressure and decreasing the risk of stroke) and vitamin C, which are all good for heart health.
5. With its low calorie content, pumpkin is a weight-loss-friendly food.
6. Diets rich in pumpkin seeds have been associated with a reduced risk of stomach, breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers.
7. Pumpkin is mildly diuretic in nature and may harm people who take medicines such as lithium.
8. Pumpkin is a source of low-calorie nutrition, which reduces the risk of obesity.
9. Pumpkins are considered to be one of the top cancer-fighting foods because they are packed with anti-oxidants and nutrients.
10. A study found that consuming sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds reduced the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women compared to women who did not eat these seeds.
The takeaway points from these interesting facts about pumpkins? Pumpkins are really good for you!
Seriously consider adding some pumpkins, as well as ready to snack on packs of pumpkin seeds, to your next supermarket shopping list.....or better still aim to grow pumpkin in your own garden this growing season, so you can share their goodness with your whanau/family, neighbours & friends (it is always nice to be able to share homegrown, spray-free garden produce)!
P.S If you save your pumpkin seeds (like all seeds) for at least three generations, to replant them season after season, you will have pumpkin seeds that are eventually perfect for your garden and climate conditions. Check out the size of the pumpkin in the photograph below, one grown from our own saved seed!
Happy homemaking (and gardening), Everyone!
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