Everyone's well-known and favorite food during autumn and winter is pumpkin and most people are aware of its numerous health benefits. It is extremely rich in useful substances, but a large part of them is lost during heat treatment and few people can eat raw pumpkin.
But there is a way out - you can easily make raw pumpkin juice at home: in its pure form or with other fruit and vegetables. This way, all valuable vitamins and minerals will be fully preserved and its consumption will not be so unpleasant.
What useful ingredients does raw pumpkin juice contain
Pumpkin juice is rich in calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, fluorine, cobalt. But the most unique component is potassium, as it is extremely rare for vegetables and fruits.
Pumpkin contains quite a wide range of vitamins: A, PP, C, E, group B, beta-carotene.
The juice of this vegetable contains glycerides of stearic, palmitic, linoleic, oleic acid.
A certain amount of dietary fiber is also observed. There is a lot of pectin in pumpkin juice, which also belongs to dietary fiber, only soluble.
Pumpkin juice is not just a healthy food product, but also an excellent therapeutic and preventive agent. Both official and folk medicine recognize its use.
All the benefits of pumpkin juice
Pumpkin juice has antipyretic, wound-healing, anti-toxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-sclerotic properties. It is an excellent immunostimulating, general strengthening tonic. Pumpkin juice has mild laxative, diuretic and choleretic properties. It calms the nervous system, relieves insomnia. It is also considered an anthelmintic.
Drinking pumpkin juice is recommended for colds, anemia, cardiovascular diseases, stomach, liver and kidney diseases, prostate diseases, worms and parasites, skin diseases, depressive states and insomnia, diabetes mellitus and overweight because:
- Reduces the secretion of gastric juice;
- Relieves heartburn;
- Treats damage to mucous membranes;
- Improves intestinal motility;
- Removes excess water, relieves puffiness;
- Replenishes missing minerals and vitamins;
- Improves metabolic processes;
- Improves the general condition in chronic pyelonephritis;
- Dissolves kidney and bladder stones, gently removes harmful salts;
- Strengthens the muscle tissue of the heart;
- Improves blood composition, increases hemoglobin in case of anemia;
- Removes excess cholesterol;
- Eliminates stress;
- Eliminates insomnia, improves sleep.
The pectin contained in raw pumpkin juice is very useful for people: it improves blood circulation, intestinal motility, normalizes metabolic processes, reduces blood cholesterol, removes heavy metals, pesticides and even radionuclides. Pectin gently and effectively cleans the blood, tissues and internal organs, while leaving all the beneficial microorganisms alive.
Special benefits of pumpkin juice for men
- improves potency;
- relieves inflammation of the prostate;
- improves the function of the prostate gland;
- strengthens the general health of men.
Special benefits of pumpkin juice for women
- fights early wrinkles;
- improves the condition of problem areas on the skin;
- rejuvenates the body;
- increases skin turgor;
- improves the color of the epidermis on the face;
- improves the condition of nails and hair.
Pumpkin juice is beneficial for women during pregnancy: relieves general fatigue, relieves nausea, relieves toxicosis in the early stages. Regarding its use by nursing mothers, it is recommended to avoid or use very carefully.
Benefits of pumpkin juice for children
Although pumpkin and pumpkin juice are brightly colored, they do not cause any allergic reactions. That is why puree and pumpkin juice mixed with carrot or apple juice can be given to children from 5-6 months as complementary foods.
The beneficial properties of pumpkin juice allow children to quickly recover from a cold, strengthen the child's immunity. Pumpkin juice is believed to help prevent rickets.
Pumpkin juice is introduced into baby food after 4 months, with a few drops, with mandatory careful monitoring of the child's condition. Babies are given juice with water in a 1:1 ratio. If there are no signs of allergy, an upset stomach, then the juice is good for this baby and its daily rate is gradually increased to 60 ml, by continuing to dilute the juice with water. Some mothers recommend boiling the juice for 1-2 minutes for easier digestion.
For children aged 3-7 years, freshly squeezed juice is prepared, without boiling, 100 ml per day. By the age of 14, the portion increases to 200 ml. For children over 14 years of age, the daily dose of fresh pumpkin juice is adjusted to 300 ml.
Adults can to consume 2-3 glasses of raw pumpkin juice per day in its pure form or mixed with other fruit or vegetable juices, as well as with added honey.
When it is not recommended to drink raw pumpkin juice
It is better not to drink pumpkin juice in case of acute gastrointestinal disorders, with low stomach acidity, with a tendency to diarrhea. This is due to the fact that pumpkin has a very strong cleansing effect and can cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and exacerbation of the above diseases.
Pumpkin juice should be consumed very carefully by people with severe diabetes mellitus and ulcers of the intestines and stomach. The same applies to those who suffer from cholecystitis and hepatitis.
When drinking raw juice a reaction of individual intolerance may occur.
Also learn how to freeze pumpkin, what pumpkin is good for or try one of our recipes for:
