Every late summer and early autumn is the time for a gathering of large and small melons. The various melons on the table are dazzling.
Shooting cucumbers with minced garlic, brewing Rice-meat dumplings with balsam pear, and pickled zucchini, however, the final item must be steamed pumpkin.
"You don't need to do too much seasoning, just cut the pumpkin and steam it in a pot to make a delicious dessert.". The soft and glutinous pumpkin meat and pumpkin skin with a slightly powdered taste can be put in the refrigerator slightly chilled if you like, making it a pleasure in the late autumn days.
However, pumpkin is not something anyone can eat freely! How to eat healthily? Let me explain it carefully for you.
Pumpkin, Beigua, Old Japanese Gourd, Tongtong is a family
There is a group of pumpkins on the market. Although they have different shapes, some are long and some are round, but their taste is similar.
There are only two common pumpkin species in the market, Chinese pumpkin (pumpkin) and Indian pumpkin (bamboo shoot melon). The main difference between the two is in the fruit handle. The pumpkin is trumpet shaped, while the bamboo shoot melon is straight tubular.
Speaking of it, these names are somewhat playful. Whether it's Chinese pumpkin or Indian pumpkin, their hometown is in the American continent, where pumpkins have been cultivated for over 5000 years. But it was not until after the 16th century that European explorers brought them back to Europe and carried them forward. As for Chinese people eating pumpkins, that was already after the Ming Dynasty.
However, this does not prevent them from becoming the darling of Chinese dining tables.
Full of carotene
The pumpkin we often eat has an orange red pulp, and this color comes from the carotene in it.
Per 100 grams of pumpkin β- The carotene content is 3100 micrograms, and the vitamin A content is 369 micrograms, which is equivalent to 46% of the daily intake required.
We often recommend eating vegetables in various colors, and orange is also essential. Carotene and vitamin A have many important functions in the human body. The primary manifestation of vitamin A deficiency is the inability to see clearly at night, which is also known as "night blindness.".
It is often said that carrots need to be fried in oil to absorb carotene, but how can this pumpkin be steamed?
In fact, the absorption and non absorption of carotene have little to do with whether to add oil or not. Remind you, in fact, don't add too much oil to eat carrots!
In addition, there is another interesting thing: If you eat too much carotene, you may turn yellow all over! But don't panic too much. After a while, you'll recover on your own
Can Pumpkin Reduce Blood Sugar?
The sugar (carbohydrate) content in every 100 grams of pumpkin is 6.5 grams, including a large amount of starch, 1.36 grams of soluble sugars such as sucrose and fructose, and 0.5 grams of dietary fiber.
Among them, pumpkin polysaccharides are believed to have the ability to lower blood sugar. In some animal experiments, pumpkin polysaccharide can stimulate the activity of pancreatic islets, improve insulin secretion, and thereby reduce the blood sugar level in animals. Unfortunately, this mechanism has not been confirmed in human trials.
On the contrary, it is even more important to note that although pumpkin polysaccharides may have the ability to lower blood sugar, the large amount of starch and soluble sugar in pumpkins cannot be ignored.
There is no difference between these sugars and those in rice Mantou, so pumpkin is also a standard food with high glycemic value (GI). The glycemic index of cooked pumpkin is as high as 75, which is equivalent to that of rice and white bread.
Therefore, diabetics must not open their stomachs to eat pumpkins.
Are pumpkin seeds good?
Compared to pumpkins, pumpkin seeds that are high in fat, protein, and sugar are a choice for people with high blood sugar.
In addition, pumpkin seed has long been considered an effective insect repellent, and its citrulline is considered an effective ingredient that can repel various parasites such as tapeworms, pinworms, and roundworms. However, there is currently a lack of evidence.
However, eating a small handful of various nuts every day is still very beneficial for the body.
Tips for eating melons
The starch and other sugars in pumpkins contain a lot of energy, and if eaten incorrectly, they can become the culprit for obesity.
If you are a person with normal or overweight weight, you can replace some of your staple foods with pumpkins, which can reduce the amount of calories you eat in your staple foods every day and achieve weight loss.
For those who are thin and malnourished, it is a good way to use pumpkin as a vegetable or a Dim sum after dinner.
However, no matter how you eat it, don't put any more sugar in it!