Not everyone knows that pumpkin is actually not a vegetable, but berry, like her closest relative, a watermelon. She came to our domestic beds from America through Europe. The first American settlers baked it in ash, filling it with milk and herbs.
Since then, pumpkin has become the favorite of cooks, because the delicate texture and sweet taste of its pulp - a true paradise for culinary fantasies. In addition, its pulp is very juicy, which allows you to get a large amount of juice from it, which concentrates all the most useful properties of pumpkin.
How to get pumpkin juice? We will analyze its composition
This healthy drink is completely it’s easy to cook yourself. To do this, you need to take a ripe pumpkin (best fresh - they are more juicy), remove the core and peel. Cut the pulp into small pieces, pass through a juicer - our juice is ready! By the way: do not rush to throw out the cake that is left from the pumpkin, it will come in handy for you as a vitamin facial mask. You can also use this pulp for pie or cereal.
If you do not have a juicer, just grate the pulp and squeeze with gauze. To make thick pumpkin juice with lots of pulp, take a blender instead of a juicer. This juice contains even more fiber, so doubly useful.
Freshly squeezed juice should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than two days, so cook it in small portions. To cook real vitamin cocktailYou can mix pumpkin juice with carrot or apple juice. Get a real storehouse of healthy vitamins and minerals!
If you don’t like such pumpkin juice, you can cook it another waysuitable also for winter blanks. So, for 0.5 kg of pumpkin pulp, peeled and sunflower seeds, you need 100 grams of sugar and the juice of one lemon. Grate the pumpkin, and at this time put 1 liter of water to boil and dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add pumpkin to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice and let cool slightly. You can pour our juice in jars!
For the preparation of a large amount of pumpkin juice for the winter, it is most convenient to use a juicer.
We have prepared the juice. Now, looking at the thick amber liquid, we ask ourselves: what is useful in its composition? The composition of pumpkin juice includes:
• cellulose;
• minerals: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, fluorine and zinc;
• Vitamins B1, B2;
• vitamin PP;
• beta-carotene (its content in pumpkin pulp is several times greater than in carrots);
• Vitamin K;
• pectin;
• sucrose.
Pumpkin juice is a complete benefit for the body!
The main volume of juice is fiber (dietary fiber). The most famous function of fiber is to cleanse the digestive tract from toxins and prevent constipation. This is due to the fact that fiber is practically not digested either in the stomach or in the intestine. It passes through the entire digestive system, stimulates its work and, like a soft brush, cleanses the intestinal wall of slag. Also cellulose:
• Normalizes blood sugar;
• Cleanses the body of toxins;
• Stimulates digestion and has a positive effect on metabolism;
• Promotes weight loss.
Vitamins and minerals contained in pumpkin juice are immediately performed many functions:
• Strengthen immunity;
• Increase hemoglobin and help fight anemia;
• For the work of the heart, the minerals potassium and magnesium are very important, which are found in high concentration in the pumpkin;
• Help the nervous system deal with stress;
• Vitamin K regulates blood coagulation.
In addition, the continuous use of pumpkin juice on an empty stomach improves complexion and even cures acne. Pumpkin juice has a slight diuretic effect and will help remove excess fluid from the body. High potassium content makes juice a good helper of the cardiovascular system.
BUT for the stronger sex it is useful to know such a therapeutic effect as a beneficial effect on the prostate gland and generally a tonic effect on men's health.
Pumpkin juice cleanses the bile ducts and helps the gall bladder.
Low calorie pumpkin juice makes it a healthy dietary product: it is used to reduce weight. Its calorie content is only 38 kcal per 100 g. For obese nutritionists, nutritionists recommend sitting on pumpkin juice 1-2 times a week - this unloading will help in the fight against weight. This drink, in addition to its obvious benefits, also remarkably muffles hunger. Therefore, it is very good to use for those who try not to eat in the evening, as a substitute for dinner.
Now recommendations for use. Of course, drinking fresh squeezed pumpkin juice is more effective, but boiled pumpkin juice will be an excellent assistant to your health. For preventive purposes, it is good to drink pumpkin juice half a cup twice a day on an empty stomach. If you have any health problems, your norm is 2 cups per day. The course of treatment should last at least two weeks, just then you will notice an improvement.
There is another way to use pumpkin juice, besides drinking it inside. Pumpkin juice can be used externally. This is a great cosmetic product! Here is tonic mask recipe: soak a gauze napkin with juice and apply on face for 10-15 minutes. This procedure can be done for several days in a row. The skin becomes refreshed, smooth and radiant.
Nourishing Mask Recipe with pumpkin juice: add a teaspoon of honey and one yolk to two tablespoons of juice. Beat the mixture well and apply evenly on the face, leave to dry. This mask should be washed off with cool water. The skin from this nutritious-vitamin mask is elastic, nourished from the inside, smoothed. Such a mask will be especially useful in the autumn-winter period, when weather conditions, heaters and conditioners contribute to dry skin.
Can pumpkin juice be harmful?
Pumpkin juice becomes a double-edged sword, if used with contraindications. Such is, first of all, low acidity of gastric juice. Pumpkin juice will be very harmful for people with this disease, because it lowers acidity even more.
Pumpkin juice is not worth it if you have an upset stomach, it only increase diarrhea and it can also cause irritation of the mucosa: fiber is too rough for the inflamed intestinal walls.
For the same reason, pumpkin juice is not recommended for gastric patients. an ulcer, gastritis or cholecystitis.
If you have a bladder or kidney, it is also better to refrain from this drink because of its diuretic effect.
Important: pumpkin juice does not go well with fresh milk. Such a tandem has a strong laxative effect!
Another point: like all healthy foods, this juice can become an enemy when consumed excessively. Do not drink more than 3 glasses of juice per day. You will not drink vitamins in handfuls if you are prescribed only three capsules per day?
The benefits of pumpkin juice for pregnant and lactating mothers
Pumpkin juice will help to cope with one of the first problems of the first trimester of pregnancy - toxicosis. Many future mothers are tormented by constant nausea, especially in the morning immediately after waking up. Taking this problem will help to cope with taking half a glass of fresh pumpkin juice in the morning on an empty stomach. Best drink juice without getting out of bedso that there is no sharp nausea and dizziness after lifting.
Fragrant amber juice will help with another common problem in pregnant women - with constipation. If you regularly drink juice for several weeks, you can forget about laxatives and medicines for increased gas formation: the digestive process will bounce back.
And of course, pumpkin juice is very beneficial for pregnant women as an additional source of minerals and vitamins.
Becoming a mother, a woman does not have to give up this healthy drink. Certain vegetables and fruits, once in breast milk, cause allergies or bloating in babies. Pumpkin is a low allergenic product, it can be eaten without fear. As for bloating, the pumpkin will help here: breast milk after a mom drinking pumpkin juice, it prevents gas formation and colic in the baby.
The kid will also love pumpkin juice: the benefits of pumpkin juice for children
Pumpkin juice, due to its low allergenicity, suitable for children with allergies. It is valuable as a rich source of vitamins for a growing body. Vitamins of group B and magnesium contained in pumpkin are indispensable for the formation of a strong nervous system of a child. Potassium strengthens the cardiovascular system, which during heavy growth experiences great stress.
Freshly squeezed pumpkin juice can be given from the age of three, starting with a few tablespoons. Some children do not like the taste of raw juice, in which case you can boil a little sweetened juice. Pumpkin juice in combination with honey - An excellent sedative, it is very good to give it at night for a sound and calm baby sleep.
We found that pumpkin juice is not just a tasty drink. He will become a friend and assistant in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. The most important thing is to take care of your body on time, so drink pumpkin juice and maintain your health!
