Health Benefits and Delicious Flavor: What You Need to Know About Pumpkin

We are approaching Rosh Hashanah. Some of our readers requested an article about the pumpkin, known as the 'kera,' commonly placed on the table on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Indeed, pumpkin is a very important vegetable in our daily diet, and it can serve as a good omen for the upcoming year. It is sweet and tasty, making it very suitable for vegetable soups and orange soups. It's great for various pies, antipasti, and more. Aside from its exquisite and delightful taste, what are the nutritional values it contains?

First, its orange color places it within the group of orange vegetables that includes carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, mango, apricots, and more. This color belongs to a group of compounds called 'carotenoids,' including beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. Indeed, pumpkin contains a high amount of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene serves as a precursor to vitamin A. This means the body uses this compound to produce vitamin A as needed. Additionally, pumpkin contains a very high amount of the vitamin itself. Vitamin A has many roles. It is essential for maintaining normal vision, proper immune system function, skin health, reducing the risk of cancer, and more. Interestingly, the pumpkin skin, which most of us peel and discard, contains the majority of the beta-carotene. Another fascinating finding by researchers is that pumpkin skin contains proteins that can prevent the growth and proliferation of the candida fungus. Therefore, it's recommended to wash the skin and cook the pumpkin whole; it softens and blends well with the taste of the pumpkin itself. The pumpkin also contains many other ingredients, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are very important for eye health. It also contains a high amount of various minerals, including calcium, which is essential for bone and dental health, potassium, magnesium, and more.

Pumpkin seeds also frequently grace tables as a snack (roasted) and as an addition to various salads. Pumpkin seeds contain many nutritional values, but the matter is somewhat more complex here. On the one hand, pumpkin seeds are high in proteins, healthy fats, vitamins B, K, and other minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. However, they also contain a very high percentage of phosphorus, making them a food with an acidic response, and if they go through a roasting process, their fats are damaged and harmful. Therefore, it is advisable to eat pumpkin seeds unroasted. Additionally, those with digestive or various rheumatic issues such as arthritis, muscle pain, and similar conditions should avoid eating them, even when unroasted.  

Eliahu Shechter is an iridologist and natural therapist