Until recently, there is no consensus on pumpkin origin. Some scientists believe America was home to a pumpkin, others consider this culture was delivered from China, where it was cultivated in the imperial court.

Pumpkin is a very tasty and healthy vegetable that contains a large amount of carotene and vitamins. Pumpkin pulp contains a lot of vitamin D necessary for the child’s body, which strengthens livelihood and accelerates children growth. Fiber of this vegetable is easily assimilated even by a weakened organism, which is why pumpkin dishes are recommended for therapeutic and preventive nutrition. As pumpkin contains much salt of copper, iron and phosphorus, which positively influence the process of blood formation in the body, its use is recommended as a prevention of anemia and atherosclerosis.

Pumpkin is also helpful for liver and kidney. Pumpkin provides an excellent control of digestion and due to high content of pectin helps eliminating cholesterol from the body.

Of organic acids, pumpkin contains mainly malic acid. It has enough sugars: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and glucose represents 2 / 3 of the total content of sugary compounds.

Pumpkin is a real casket of mineral compounds. It contains enough calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, fluorine and zinc. Pumpkin crumb contains much carotene, vitamins C, B and other useful substances which have a positive effect on bowel function with remittent effect, at the same time this is a very good diuretic.

Pumpkin dishes are recommend to patients with hepatitis and cholecystitis, as well as people with cholelithiasis, chronic colitis and enterocolitis in the acute stage, diseases of cardiovascular system (hypertension, atherosclerosis with circulatory failure), acute and chronic nephritis and pyelonephritis. Pumpkin is recommended for pregnant women as a natural antiemetic. It is used against “sea sickness”.

For treatment of kidney disease, they consume not pulp, but fresh juice squeezed from raw pumpkin - half a glass per day. Pumpkin juice has a calming effect, improves sleep.

Pounded pulp of this vegetable is applied to areas with eczema, burns and rash in the form of compresses.

Pumpkin dishes are desirable to those who suffered from viral hepatitis A, due to the fact that biologically active substances contained in crumb contribute to resumption of activity of liver antioxidant function.

Using pumpkin dishes for a long time can help removing excess fluid from the body. To this purpose, doctors prescribe pumpkin diet against cardiac and renal edema for 3-4 months in a raw form of 0,5 kg per day and boiled or baked -1,5 kg per day.

Pumpkin seeds have long been used as a sedative in folk medicine, as well as a way that helps with urinary organs, especially with cramps, which make urination difficult.

In India, pumpkin is used to treat tuberculosis. They proved pumpkin aqueous extract in a dilution of 1:10000 prevents tubercle bacillus reproduction.

Pumpkin recipes

Baked pumpkin

Cut ripe pumpkin and remove fibers and seeds without peeling, and bake in the oven until cooked. Serve chilled with milk or cream with sugar or honey. While cooking in the oven, pumpkin can be watered 2-3 times with melted butter and than serve hot.

Pumpkin, baked in a pot

Pumpkin is peeled and cut in small pieces, interspersed with sugar, vanilla and left for several minutes. Smear pot with butter and place pumpkin in it, pour with cream and put in the oven. Cooking time is one hour, after which the pot with pumpkin is removed and cooled. It goes well cooled.

Pumpkin jelly

Pumpkin is peeled and rubbed on a fine grater. Potato starch is diluted with cold milk and poured in hot milk, bring to a boil stirring. Add vanilla, sugar to taste, a little salt, rubbed pumpkin. All is blended and brought to a boil. Bottle and cool.

Ingredients: 500 g pumpkin, 0,5 l milk, 3 tbsp. sugar, 1,5 table spoon potato starch, salt and vanilla sugar to taste.