1 cup canned pumpkinFor example, it has 137 calories but contains over 200 percent of your daily intake of vitamin A, 36 percent of vitamin K, 25 percent of fiber, and 22 percent of vitamin E. Also vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, and potassium.
The vitamin A in pumpkin comes from plant pigments called carotenoids, which give pumpkins their golden color and are converted to vitamin A in the body, Kopec said. Vitamin A is essential for vision, pregnancy, skin health and immune function, and the last one is “especially important as we head into the colder months,” she said.
Amanda Lynette, a nutritionist specializing in gastroenterology at Michigan Medicine, says the carotenoids in pumpkin, called beta-carotene, as well as vitamins C and E, also act as antioxidants, protecting them from damage caused by UV rays and pollution. It is said to help protect the skin.
One cup of canned pumpkin puree, typically made from a pumpkin variety similar to butternut squash, contains about 7 grams of fiber, a nutrient that most people in the United States would benefit from consuming more of. is. Lynette says fiber can increase feelings of fullness and satisfaction, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and support a healthy gut microbiome.
Lynette added that the type of fiber found in pumpkin can also help people who suffer from diarrhea or constipation by absorbing water and helping move stool through the colon. And pumpkin is “a little easier on the digestive tract,” she said, compared to other types of high-fiber foods, such as kale and beans, which are high in “roughage” and a little harder to digest.
