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Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima) is a variety of squash that is native to North America. While most of us have a favorite pumpkin pie recipe that we pull out during the fall and winter holidays, this versatile bright orange vegetable isn't limited to dessert. It can also be used to make smoothies, baked goods, soups, salads, and more. Pumpkin's rich nutritional stores make it a healthful food to consume year-round.
The following nutrition information is provided by the USDA for 1 cup (245g) of fresh, (not canned) cooked pumpkin with no fat added.
There are 49 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrate in a cup of fresh cooked pumpkin. Some of that carbohydrate is fiber (2.7g) and some is naturally occurring sugar (5g). The remaining carbohydrate is starch.
The carbohydrates in pumpkin are filling, while also having a minimal impact on blood sugar as measured by its glycemic load. This makes pumpkin a good option for people with diabetes.
Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) both measure the effect a food has on blood sugar. While pumpkin has a high GI of 75, the glycemic load (which takes portion size into account) is estimated to be just 3. GL is considered a more accurate way to measure a food's impact on blood sugar because it is based on the typical serving size.
There is barely any naturally occurring fat in fresh pumpkin. Some varieties of canned pumpkin contain added fat. In addition, many pumpkin-flavored foods contain added fat. For example, pumpkin pie and many pumpkin-flavored baked goods contain added fat.
Pumpkin-spiced coffee drinks, popular during the fall and winter months, often contain fat from the dairy that is used to make them. However, these drinks typically do not contain any pumpkin and are instead flavored with pumpkin pie spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Pumpkin is not a rich source of protein, with just 1.8 grams per cup. However, many pumpkin fans add fresh or canned pumpkin to protein-rich meals or smoothies. As a fiber-rich carbohydrate, pumpkin is a flavorful and healthy way to balance out out high-protein meals.
Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene—a carotenoid or natural pigment—which gives it its bright orange or yellow color. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, which helps you to maintain healthy skin, teeth, and vision. Pumpkin is also an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin E, riboflavin, copper, and manganese. And you'll benefit from smaller amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and folate.
Pumpkin is a nutritious food that may provide certain health benefits. However, most research on the health benefits of pumpkin has used pumpkin oil extract, pumpkin seed oil, or pumpkin seeds and has been conducted on rodents. Very few studies have investigated the benefits of pumpkin flesh on humans. But there are studies that link nutritional components of pumpkin and other squash varieties to potential benefits.
Researchers have identified certain foods that they identify as "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables. These are foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk by providing higher levels of bioavailable nutrients such as vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and others. Pumpkin made the list, with a higher nutrient rating than winter squash varieties such as butternut squash.
Beta-carotene is an important antioxidant, and you'll get a healthy dose of it when you consume pumpkin. Antioxidants help repair oxidative stress and are considered to be protective against certain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.4
One large-scale review regarding the health effects of beta-carotene found that several studies connected a higher intake of beta-carotene to a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A which is essential for eye health. Vitamin A is important for good eye health and maintaining your vision, especially as you age.
Research has indicated that taking supplements or consuming foods with beta carotene may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a form of vision loss that becomes more common as people age. A report published in 2011 found that when study participants took a supplement containing high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc they showed a 35% decrease in age-related macular degeneration.7 In addition to beta carotene, pumpkin also contains high levels of vitamin C, some vitamin E, and small amounts of zinc.
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin C, with a 1-cup serving containing up to 19% of the recommended daily amount (RDA). Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, which is the main protein in the skin. While aiding skin structure, it also provides antioxidant protection against photodamage caused by the sun's UV rays.
While vitamin C can be applied topically for some skin benefits, authors of one study noted that multiple intervention studies concluded that healthy skin is also associated with fruit and vegetable intake. Although they note that the active component in the fruit and vegetables responsible for the observed benefit can't be identified, vitamin C availability may be a factor.
Vitamin A in pumpkin may also play a role in the prevention of cancer. Vitamin A is important for regulating cell growth and differentiation. Some studies have examined the association between vitamin A and certain cancers including prostate and lung cancer.
According to National Institutes of Health, the relationship between beta-carotene and lung cancer in people who smoke has been studied, although research does not yet show a clear connection and trials are ongoing. There is also some evidence that a higher intake of vitamin A may lead to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. But the relationship between vitamin A and cancer risk is also not firmly established. There are also safety concerns about taking high levels of vitamin A (particularly in supplement form).
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Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima) is a variety of squash that is native to North America. While most of us have a favorite pumpkin pie recipe that we pull out during the fall and winter holidays, this versatile bright orange vegetable isn't limited to dessert. It can also be used to make smoothies, baked goods, soups, salads, and more. Pumpkin's rich nutritional stores make it a healthful food to consume year-round.
The following nutrition information is provided by the USDA for 1 cup (245g) of fresh, (not canned) cooked pumpkin with no fat added.
There are 49 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrate in a cup of fresh cooked pumpkin. Some of that carbohydrate is fiber (2.7g) and some is naturally occurring sugar (5g). The remaining carbohydrate is starch.
The carbohydrates in pumpkin are filling, while also having a minimal impact on blood sugar as measured by its glycemic load. This makes pumpkin a good option for people with diabetes.
Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) both measure the effect a food has on blood sugar. While pumpkin has a high GI of 75, the glycemic load (which takes portion size into account) is estimated to be just 3. GL is considered a more accurate way to measure a food's impact on blood sugar because it is based on the typical serving size.
There is barely any naturally occurring fat in fresh pumpkin. Some varieties of canned pumpkin contain added fat. In addition, many pumpkin-flavored foods contain added fat. For example, pumpkin pie and many pumpkin-flavored baked goods contain added fat.
Pumpkin-spiced coffee drinks, popular during the fall and winter months, often contain fat from the dairy that is used to make them. However, these drinks typically do not contain any pumpkin and are instead flavored with pumpkin pie spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Pumpkin is not a rich source of protein, with just 1.8 grams per cup. However, many pumpkin fans add fresh or canned pumpkin to protein-rich meals or smoothies. As a fiber-rich carbohydrate, pumpkin is a flavorful and healthy way to balance out out high-protein meals.
Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene—a carotenoid or natural pigment—which gives it its bright orange or yellow color. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, which helps you to maintain healthy skin, teeth, and vision. Pumpkin is also an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin E, riboflavin, copper, and manganese. And you'll benefit from smaller amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and folate.
Pumpkin is a nutritious food that may provide certain health benefits. However, most research on the health benefits of pumpkin has used pumpkin oil extract, pumpkin seed oil, or pumpkin seeds and has been conducted on rodents. Very few studies have investigated the benefits of pumpkin flesh on humans. But there are studies that link nutritional components of pumpkin and other squash varieties to potential benefits.
Researchers have identified certain foods that they identify as "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables. These are foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk by providing higher levels of bioavailable nutrients such as vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and others. Pumpkin made the list, with a higher nutrient rating than winter squash varieties such as butternut squash.
Beta-carotene is an important antioxidant, and you'll get a healthy dose of it when you consume pumpkin. Antioxidants help repair oxidative stress and are considered to be protective against certain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.4
One large-scale review regarding the health effects of beta-carotene found that several studies connected a higher intake of beta-carotene to a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A which is essential for eye health. Vitamin A is important for good eye health and maintaining your vision, especially as you age.
Research has indicated that taking supplements or consuming foods with beta carotene may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a form of vision loss that becomes more common as people age. A report published in 2011 found that when study participants took a supplement containing high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc they showed a 35% decrease in age-related macular degeneration.7 In addition to beta carotene, pumpkin also contains high levels of vitamin C, some vitamin E, and small amounts of zinc.
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin C, with a 1-cup serving containing up to 19% of the recommended daily amount (RDA). Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, which is the main protein in the skin. While aiding skin structure, it also provides antioxidant protection against photodamage caused by the sun's UV rays.
While vitamin C can be applied topically for some skin benefits, authors of one study noted that multiple intervention studies concluded that healthy skin is also associated with fruit and vegetable intake. Although they note that the active component in the fruit and vegetables responsible for the observed benefit can't be identified, vitamin C availability may be a factor.
Vitamin A in pumpkin may also play a role in the prevention of cancer. Vitamin A is important for regulating cell growth and differentiation. Some studies have examined the association between vitamin A and certain cancers including prostate and lung cancer.
According to National Institutes of Health, the relationship between beta-carotene and lung cancer in people who smoke has been studied, although research does not yet show a clear connection and trials are ongoing. There is also some evidence that a higher intake of vitamin A may lead to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. But the relationship between vitamin A and cancer risk is also not firmly established. There are also safety concerns about taking high levels of vitamin A (particularly in supplement form).
