Thanksgiving is just around the corner when pumpkin pies will be served. The aroma of pumpkin spice lattes is wafting from the coffee shops. In other words, the lovely orange pumpkin is a symbol and taste of fall.
Pumpkin is low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients. It nourishes the spleen and stomach while fortifying the bones. It is also especially warming during autumn and winter weather.
Pumpkin is an excellent substitute for such carbohydrates as white rice, white bread and pasta, and other refined carbohydrates.
However, a Taiwanese traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner warns that some people should ease off on their pumpkin intake.
Dr. Chen Hsin-hung, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner at Hanyitang Chinese Medicine Clinic in New Taipei City, Taiwan, said, the pumpkin is called the “golden squash,” and its harvest season is July to December. He describes the benefits of consuming pumpkin.
While most squashes are cold, in TCM, pumpkin has warm characteristics, making it a suitable food for the autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. TCM says pumpkin is warm and sweet. It belongs to the meridians of the spleen and stomach. Pumpkin calms and balances the liver and stomach while nourishing the blood. It is easily absorbed and converted into nutrients by the digestive system. Therefore, pumpkin is a nurturing option for patients with weak gastrointestinal systems or who are recovering from a severe illness.
Pumpkins are rich in beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E, which are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In addition, pumpkins are also rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for maintaining vision and eye health.
Technically a fruit, pumpkin is considered a vegetable in the culinary world. Taiwanese dietitian Julie Yu chu-ching said that pumpkin is a high-quality starch with relatively few calories. One hundred grams of pumpkin contains 49 calories, which is less than an equal portion of potatoes or sweet potatoes.
As pumpkin is a fiber rich food containing 1.4 grams of dietary fiber in one hundred grams, pumpkin can substitute for such carbohydrates as noodles and rice, for those who are looking to lose weight.
Dr. Yu said different parts of a pumpkin have different uses. For example, pumpkin skin is rich in dietary fiber, which promotes bowel movement, and pumpkin seeds are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and contain phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, selenium, zinc, and other necessary minerals.
Professor “Hippo” Chang Wen-Liang, a retired professor of the Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering at National Taiwan University, wrote an article about the benefits of magnesium while accompanying his mother to the hospital for cancer treatment.
He noted that patients often feel their bones ache.
Instead of taking painkillers, the professor said it is better to eat pumpkin. Both the seeds and flesh are high in magnesium, which is essential for skeletal structural stability. A magnesium deficiency will weaken the bones.
Magnesium is required for the human neurological response, brain function, blood pressure adjustment, and muscle activity. Chang said that among vegetables and fruits, pumpkins contain the most magnesium. He said, “Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are magnesium from nature and the best additives to the human body.”
Although pumpkin benefits our health, it is crucial to maintain a balanced diet. The doctors and nutritionists pointed out three types of people who should avoid overeating pumpkin.
This salad is food therapy for nourishing the stomach.
Ingredients: pumpkin, a firm tofu block, honey, ginger, Japanese soy sauce
Instructions:
Serve the salad cold or warm.