HEALTH BENEFITS OF PUMPKIN LEAVES

     Pumpkin vegetable has tons of vitamins and minerals, which help your body to stay healthy and skin to remain smooth. There are several approaches of pumpkin leaves usage in food. A shot of blended pumpkin leaves may not sound very tasty, particularly for people with a sweet tooth. However, a careful blend of a selection of fruits along with fresh pumpkin leaves can be made into a tasty nutritious drink brimming with loads of health benefits.

1) ANTI  AGING

Due to the presence of anti-oxidants in abundance, these leaves are known to slow down the ageing process. So, if you want to look younger, start consuming these leaves and experience your beauty again.

2) IMPROVES EYE HEALTH

Vitamin A present in pumpkin leaves helps in preventing degeneration of some of the parts of the eye, which otherwise would degrade with age. This can lead to a condition known as Age-related Macula Degeneration(ARMD).

3) CONVULSION

It is very effective in preventing convulsions. In medicine, the tender leaves are chopped and mixed with coconut water and salt. It is stored in a bottle for further use.

4) LOWERS CHOLESTEROL

In this world of high cholesterol problem, these leaves can be considered a boon. As there is a huge amount of fibre in these leaves, it reduces the absorption of bile acid and cholesterol, from the small intestines, thereby resulting in low levels of cholesterol and healthy heart.

5) INCREASES FERTILITY

It is known to cure any testicular damage and also increase the spermatogenesis. This helps in increasing fertility and is a good news for people suffering from infertility.

6) DIABETES

Only a diabetic person knows how painful it is to have diabetes. Pumpkin leaves are known to have the hypoglycaemic effect which helps in reducing sugar levels in the blood, thus keeping diabetes under control.

7) SKIN BENEFITS

Being a rich source of Vitamin C, these leaves have a lot of skin benefits. Vitamin C helps in healing wounds and forming scar tissues. It also helps in keeping bones and skin healthy.

8) FIGHTS AGAINST CANCER

Studies show that there is a direct relation between the intake of fibre and risk of cancer.    This is because the foods containing the high amount of fibre are also rich in vitamins and minerals, all of which are required for preventing cancer. So, it is recommended that have these leaves through soups daily.

9) KEEPS YOUR BONES STRONG

It is very rich in calcium and phosphorus, therefore, it is recommended for children and mothers specially. It helps to keep the bones strong and healthy. Also, it helps in keeping away the deficiency of calcium, helping in the proper growth of teeth and bones.

10) BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM

As it helps in increasing haemoglobin in blood and keeping your bones strong, they increase your immunity. This decreases the risk of getting affected by diseases, thereby keeping you healthy.

11) PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT

Keeping in mind the amount of protein it contains, it can be used for fulfilling your daily requirements of protein. This will keep you strong and healthy.

12) HELPS IN DIGESTION

As it has high fibre content, it helps you in improving your digestion and easy passage of faeces. As there is a large amount of fibre, the stools are large and soft, making the muscles contract and pass the faeces without any additional pressure. As your stomach is clean, your body will be detoxified as well.

13) PREVENTS INFECTIONS

As it possesses anti-bacterial properties, consumption of these leaves on a regular basis will keep you away from bacterial infections that are very irritating to have.

14) HELPS IN LACTATING

As it is a rich source of calcium, it is a popular choice for lactating mothers. It maintains the calcium levels to normal, helping in lactating properly.

15) TREATS ANEMIA

These leaves are a rich source of iron, which helps in increasing oxygen content in blood and lungs, thereby increasing the haemoglobin in the blood. It is also rich in folate, which is very essential for the production of red blood cells. As red blood cells and haemoglobin increases, the disorder named anaemia vanishes.

How to prepare PUMPKIN juice
INGREDIENTS:

1. Pumpkin leaves

2. A tin of evaporated milk or a bottle of malt drink or both using half quantity each.

3. One Orange

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Wash the pumpkin leaves properly Do this process twice

You do not need to slice the pumpkin leaves

1) Pour the pumpkin leaves into the blender.

2) Add some quantity of water and blend with high speed until smooth.

3) Drain the juice using a sieve or muslin cloth

4) Put the solution to boil for between 90-120 seconds so that more vitamins become released.

5) Let the solution cool off lightly.

6) Add the entire tin of evaporated milk or malt bottle drink or add half quantity of both into the solution.

7) Squeeze the orange into the solution. This is completely optional.

Your Pumpkin vegetable juice is ready to be served

HOW PUMPKIN LEAVES CAN BE EATEN

These leaves are not bitter like other green leafs, which a plus point for these leaves.      they can be eaten in many ways, some people use it in soups, while some eat it raw as salads. Here are simple recipes, so that you can make it tastier...

RECIPE 1
INGREDIENTS

- Fresh pumpkin leaves, Olive oil,Salt and Garlic

PROCEDURE

1) In a hot pan, put few drops of olive oil. Now, put pumpkin leaves and some salt in the pan and fry it for 5 minutes.

2) Keep moving the vegetables while frying. At the time of putting the cooked leaves into the dish, add some garlic to it for taste.

3) Serve hot to enjoy its taste!


RECIPE 2
INGREDIENTS

- Fresh pumpkin leaves Water
- 120 ml Peanut powder
- 1 cup Chopped tomato
- 2 cups Chopped onion
- 1 cup Palm oil


Clean the leaves and chop them. Put water, fresh leaves, tomato and onion in a saucepan and cover the pan till the leaves are wilted.When it gets reduced to half, add peanut powder and 2 tablespoons of palm oil to the pan. Keep it on the simmer for 10 minutes.

These leaves can be eaten raw as well, but it has a prickly texture. So, it doesn’t taste that good when eaten raw. Cooking will make them softer and easier to digest...

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