The Amazing Health Benefits Of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is undoubtedly the poster child produce for autumn. Everything from pie, soup, lattes, and even beer is somehow pumpkin-flavored.

Rich with important nutrients, pumpkin also packs a surprising health punch. If a Pumpkin Spice Latte is the only way you’ve consumed this superfood so far, it’s time you learned about the surprising health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Keeps Eyesight Sharp

Pumpkin is teeming with vitamin A, which has been shown to improve eye health and prevent vision degeneration. A single cup of cooked pumpkin will give you more than 200% of your daily Vitamin A needs, and Vitamin A has been proven to contribute to eye health, improve eyesight in low light environments, and has even been studied as a treatment for dry eye and cataracts. A Harvard study also found that Vitamin A slowed the progression of retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that leads to blindness.

Pumpkin Will Keep You Full

It Can Boost Heart Health

The fiber in pumpkin isn’t just a great weight loss tool, it is also important in maintaining a healthy heart. Fiber reduces cholesterol and blood pressure, both important factors in heart disease. A Harvard study found that a high-fiber diet lowered the risk of coronary heart disease.

Pumpkin May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Pumpkin owes its radiant orange hue to beta-carotene, an orange pigment that is converted into Vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals, lowering the risk of cancer. One study in France found that the risk of lung cancer among non-smokers decreased significantly with higher beta-carotene intake.

Pumpkin Seeds are Mood Boosters

If the change of seasons has you feeling down, there’s nothing like a handful of pumpkin seeds to boost your mood. Pumpkin seeds are full of zinc and magnesium, both of which are touted as Mother Nature’s antidepressant. Patients with depression were found to have lower than average levels of zinc and studies have shown the benefits of zinc supplements in treating major depressive disorder.

On top of that magnesium has been nicknamed “the original chill pill” for its potential in combating depression, anxiety, irritability, and psychosis. Pumpkin seeds provide a double dose of mood-boosting nutrients to keep your seasonal blues at bay.

Pumpkin Seeds Can Make You Sleep Better

In addition to potentially keeping you happier, pumpkin seeds may make you sleep more soundly at night too. As a source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted to serotonin and melatonin, pumpkin seeds have the potential to make you more tired and fall asleep faster.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.