Young woman holding a white pumpkin on a pumpkin patch
“You are my Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Hello, honey bunny”
Pumpkins are famous for creating carved out masks during Halloween or for making delicious pumpkin pies. Botanically Pumpkin may be a fruit, but we often refer it as a vegetable for culinary purposes.
Benefits of Pumpkin
By now, you must be wondering, why are we talking so much about a ‘Kaddu’? Well, it’s because the numerous antioxidants, Vitamins, Minerals present in Pumpkin are incredibly healthy for your body, skin and hair.
Pumpkin is also referred to as ‘Kaddu’ in Hindi, ‘Mathanga’ in Malayalam,’ Gummadi Kayi’ in Telugu, ‘Purangikkai’ in Tamil, ‘Kumbalakai’ in Kannada, ‘Kolum’ in Gujarati, ‘Lal Bhopla’ in Marathi, and ‘Kumra’ in Bengali. And now that we are familiar with all the nutrients and names that Pumpkin has, let’s find out why pumpkins are your best friend and how you can reap benefits from it!
Benefits of Pumpkin for Skin
Don’t just eat Pumpkin but also add it to your grooming list.
Pumpkins are used in varied forms to make your skin glowing and super healthy. You can use Pumpkin; it’s seeds, oil, and peel for different purposes. Here are a few ways of using Pumpkin for a healthy skin.
1. Pumpkin scrub
Working from home has become the new normal now, thus, you should definitely take some time to take care of yourself.
Pumpkin contains fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). These increase the cell turnover to brighten and smoothen your skin.
How to use?
Mix the Pumpkin puree with brown sugar
Scrub the mixture on your skin skin gently
Do it for 3-4 minutes to get a glowing skin
PS: It smells so good, you are definitely going to love it.
2. Pumpkin for treating oily skin
It has a lot of unsaturated fatty acids that can soothe inflammation and acne-prone skin. Oily skin is one reason for acne issues, and our friend pumpkin has all the required elements to cure this skin condition.
3. Pumpkin for anti-aging
Pumpkin contains vitamin A and vitamin C and antioxidants to help soften your skin. It boosts collagen production, which forestalls the signs of aging.
4. Pumpkin to treat your acne
Are you having acne issues attributed to Hormonal imbalance? Well, there’s a good news for you! You can manage and treat acne by applying Pumpkin on your face as a facemask!
The high amount of Zinc and vitamin E helps to improve your skin tone. It helps to fight acne and renew your skin.
5. Say goodbye to pigmentation
Pumpkin is an excellent source of minerals. It is rich with Copper and Zinc. Copper also plays a very significant role in melanin production.
A deficiency of Melanin can be responsible for hyperpigmentation, which causes brown spots over the skin. Our dear friend pumpkin helps fade those brown spots left behind by acne and also treats sun damage.
6. Pumpkin for skin lightening
Pumpkin can easily penetrate deeper into the skin when used topically. It can be excellent for treating a dull complexion. The Copper content of a Pumpkin also helps in lightening your skin patches.
7. Pumpkin body mask
Follow the recipe to prepare a refreshing and relaxing body mask.
Mix ½ a cup of cooked or canned pumpkin puree with ½ a cup coconut solids.
Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to this mix, and you have your Pumpkin body mask ready!
Apply this on your entire body, massage gently over the skin.
Leave the mask for about 10 minutes and rinse it with warm water.
Now pat dry.
It is more refreshing and relaxing for your skin than it sounds.
8. Whiten your skin with pumpkin
The alpha hydroxyl acids in pumpkin help in cell rejuvenation and renewal. The pumpkin mask, therefore, not only lightens and brightens your skin but also whitens it! The vitamins and antioxidants in pumpkin help soften and smoothen the skin tone and texture.
Benefits of Pumpkin for Hair
Besides many skincare benefits, Pumpkin has several benefits for your hair too! Its rich nutritional value promotes hair growth, and you can also use it as a good hair conditioner.
As we know, hair follicles require an adequate supply of nutrients for optimal growth and health; we are sure Pumpkin is the answer to many of your hair problems.
Pumpkin can be useful for your hair in the following ways:
1. Promotes Hair Growth
Zinc helps maintain the collagen level and therefore plays a crucial role in promoting healthy, beautiful hair. Pumpkin, as we know, is a rich source of minerals. It contains potassium and zinc.
Potassium helps in keeping the hair healthy and improves re-growth. It also contains folate, vital B-complex vitamins, which improves blood circulation and stimulates hair growth!
2. Great Conditioner for Dry Hair
If you have got dry hair, make a hair conditioner using Pumpkin for effective results.
What you need to do?
Take 2 cups of cooked Pumpkin, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp organic honey, and 1 tbsp yogurt.
Using a hand blender, mix Pumpkin and yogurt well and then add coconut oil and honey to smooth paste.
Apply this conditioner over shampooed hair.
Now cover your head with a plastic shower cap or polythene bag and leave it for 15 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly, and thank us later for the shiny, smooth hair!
Benefits of Pumpkin for Health
1. Helps to lose weight
Pumpkin provides a healthy dose of fiber and no fat. It also promotes satiety; since your body takes longer to digest them, they’ll encourage you to eat less overall.
2. Improves your Prostate Health
Pumpkin contains protective compounds called phytosterols, which helps in the contraction of the gland.
3. Boosts Your Sex Life
Pumpkin seeds provide an honest dose of zinc, and the mineral appears to boost your sexual health, including fertility, potency.
4. Get a good night sleep
Pumpkin is rich in tryptophan, an alkanoic amino acid that gets converted to serotonin that helps you fall asleep, faster and easier.
5. Gives you a Sharp Eyesight
Vitamin A present in Pumpkin improves vision, especially in dim light, according to the National Institute of Health.
6. Treats Arthritis and Reduce Inflammation
A deficiency of various vitamins and minerals can cause an inflammation of multiple tissues, organs, and joints, as in arthritis. Arthritis may be a debilitating condition that must treat on time, and anti-inflammatory properties present in Pumpkin help reduce the arthritis-related joint pain.
7. Boosts your Metabolism
Protein in pumpkin seeds can help you boost your Metabolism when feeling tired or unenergetic and pushes you to do more.
The high-calorie content in pumpkin seed may be an excellent nutritional supplement for those who need additional energy for cell and tissue repair. It’s good people recovering from traumatic injuries.
8. Builds your Immunity
Antioxidants’ presence reduces the likelihood of viral infections, causing cold, flu, fatigue, and other ailments, especially during monsoons.
9. Good for your Heart
Pumpkin seeds are a premier source of healthy fats, fibers, and various antioxidants beneficial for the guts. These seeds contain fatty acids that help to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol within the blood. The presence of magnesium within the roots helps to regularise vital sign levels.
10. Pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil—also called pepita oil. The orange-red oil promotes good health, and you can take it as a health supplement. It is used for hair loss, to diminish symptoms of menopause, or to treat overactive bladder.
You can also consume Pumpkin seed oil in liquid or capsule form.
11. Effects on your mental state
Pumpkin seed oil is said to spice up mood and keep off depression. Past findings from the British Journal of Psychiatry showed positive results from giving pumpkin seeds to children with depression.
12. Effects on menopause
Pumpkin seed oil gives a sign of relief during the menopause. Women who take pumpkin seed oil or seeds had a rise in their HDL levels, which is the “good” cholesterol.
Side Effects of Pumpkin:
Pumpkin has no side effects as such but can show specific ill effects in the body if taken in a great deal. They are high in fiber, so eating large amounts may cause gas or bloat.
Eating large amounts of pumpkin seeds may also cause constipation.
Conclusion
By now you must have realized how great Pumpkins are for your skin, health, and hair. It can also treat osteoporosis, prostate cancer, kidney stones, and insomnia.
With all the benefits, Pumpkin is a readily available and a very affordable vegetable. The roasted pumpkin seeds are also super yummy!
Eat, apply, and enjoy this superfood, because you are my Pumpkin, Pumpkin, hello, honey bunny,
Saakshi Pathak aka Iska Review girl is a blogger, script writer, book reviewer, youtuber and a show host. Her writings are often witty and layered with sarcastic comments. She makes videos on social issues and has also been working with various media houses as a freelance content creator. She loves collecting and wearing jhumkas. She's an avid book reader. She is currently based in Chandigarh and is working as a freelancer.
