Pumpkin Improves Vision, Weight Loss, Ulcers, and Prostate; the Best Ways to Prepare

Pumpkin is not only delicious, but it is nutrient-dense and linked to many health benefits. I am going to suggest several different ways to prepare it to help you lose weight, nourish the stomach, protect your eyes, prevent gastric ulcers and prostate disease.

Steamed Pumpkin, Pumpkin Rice to Lose Weight and Reduce Edema

Eating pumpkin can help you lose weight, not only because it is low in calories and makes you feel full, but also because it has three distinct benefits:

1. Aids in defecation
   Pumpkin is rich in dietary fiber, which can improve bowel movements.
2. Reduces fat absorption
   When eating pumpkin, your mouth may feel a little sticky; that is because of the pectin. A number of studies have shown that pectin can prevent the body from absorbing too much fat.
3. Is a diuretic; reduces edema
   Pumpkin itself has a diuretic effect, eliminates edema, and can also detoxify and beautify the skin.

The easiest way to eat pumpkin for weight loss is to steam it in an electric cooker. Cut the fruit into pieces and put them directly into the pot and steam. It can also be made into pumpkin rice. Wash the rice and add some water, then spread the pumpkin pieces on top and cook in an electric pot.

Make Pumpkin Soy Milk and Dense Soup to Improve Eye Health

There is a recent increase in the number of people seeing a doctor for eye problems. Not only teenagers, but even middle-aged and elderly people have become addicted to technology, resulting in “computer vision syndrome,” also known as digital eye strain. When looking at a computer and cell phone for an extended period of time, eye discomfort and vision problems can occur, including eyestrain, blurred vision, headaches, and dry eyes. Some research suggests this may also lead to age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eating pumpkin can help protect the eyes from daily strain, while preventing eye diseases and enhancing night vision.

Pumpkin soy milk can provide relief for eye fatigue, especially for students studying late at night, while also satisfying their hunger. And it tastes great.

The preparation of pumpkin soy milk is quite simple. Prepare 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of pumpkin and 600 cc (1.3 pints) of soy milk. First, cut the pumpkin into pieces and steam it in an electric rice cooker. Then heat the soy milk and blend it with the steamed pumpkin to make a watery paste with a juicer.

The ingredients of pumpkin soup include 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of pumpkin, 200 cc (6.8 fl. ounces) of milk, 100 cc (3.4 fl. ounces) of water, plus a little salt and pepper. First, steam the pumpkin in an electric rice cooker; add a small amount of water, then pour it into a juicer to make a puree; put the pumpkin puree and milk into the cooker, and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Pumpkin Latte or Pumpkin Porridge to Nourish the Stomach and Prevent Stomach Ulcers

The excessive pressures many are facing today, exacerbated by irregular meals and rest times, have caused many to suffer from gastric and duodenal ulcers.

A stomach ulcer, also called a gastric ulcer, is an open sore that develops in your stomach lining and can be unbearably painful. These ulcers can occur repeatedly, even causing gastric perforation, a life-threatening condition. Many people will have stomach pain, acid reflux, and feel full at the early onset, at which point the gastric mucosa may have become ulcerated.

Pumpkin is an excellent natural food to help prevent stomach ulcers. For patients with mild ulcers, eating pumpkins can help speed up the healing of gastric wounds, protect the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, promote the secretion of bile, and enhance food digestion.

Pumpkin and millet porridge can prevent and heal digestive ulcers, and millet has the added benefit of nourishing the stomach. The “Introduction to Medicine” of the Ming Dynasty says: “Eating porridge in the morning helps push the old and bring forth the new, benefit the diaphragm, nourish the stomach, and generate body fluid, make one feel refreshed all day, a really good supplement indeed.”

To prepare the millet pumpkin porridge, take 200 grams (7 ounces) of pumpkin and 50 grams (1.8 ounces) of millet; cut the pumpkin into pieces and wash the millet; put them in boiling water and cook on low flame for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pot.

Make a pumpkin latte at home before your next commute.

The ingredients of the pumpkin latte include 10 grams (0.35 ounce) of pumpkin puree, 180 cc (6 fl. ounces) of fresh milk, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 50 cc (1.7 fl. ounces) of black coffee, and a little cinnamon powder. (If it is for children, just leave out the coffee.)

Brew the coffee, pour it into the juicer with the pumpkin puree and fresh milk, and whip for 20-30 seconds. Add a little maple syrup and cinnamon to enhance taste.

Eat Pumpkin Seeds, Drink Pumpkin Seed Milk to Prevent Prostate Disease

Prostate problems are common, especially in older men. And incidentally, most of the farmers who work in the pumpkin fields do not have such problems.

The onset of prostatic hypertrophy is getting younger and younger. In the past, only people in their 60s had it. Now in my clinic, I sometimes see people in their 40s with this problem. For example: standing in front of the urinal, they need to wait a long time to get the urine out; or after having just been to the toilet, the urge to urinate comes again soon. This is particularly serious during nighttime, since some say having to get up several times during the night causes them to lose sleep.

In addition to normal aging, people who often think about sex are also prone to prostate hypertrophy. This is because the prostate will become stimulated continuously while fantasizing, which can cause prostate problems.

In addition to the pumpkin pulp, pumpkin seeds can also offer similar protection for the prostate. Medical research has found that pumpkin seeds can improve the speed of urination and therefore, can reduce nocturia—the condition of waking up in the night to urinate. If you are a young man and your father has this problem, consider buying him some pumpkin seeds or pumpkin seed powder as a gift.

It should also be noted that regular consumption of pumpkin leaves and seeds can improve male fertility.

If you don’t like eating pumpkin seeds, you can buy pumpkin seed powder and mix it into milk. Grind 10 grams (0.35 ounce) of pumpkin seeds into powder; add milk and a little sugar; drink a little bit every day.

Pumpkins can also nourish the blood. Chen Xiuyuan, an eminent physician in the Qing Dynasty, said that pumpkin is a “wonderful product for nourishing blood.” From the perspective of modern-day nutrition studies, pumpkin is rich in the minerals cobalt, zinc, and iron, all of which are used to produce blood cells. These abundant minerals can improve anemia and give you a healthy complexion.

There are so many benefits to eating pumpkins, but it’s best to avoid eating too much. Li Shizhen (an eminent ancient Chinese physician) warns that eating an excessive amount of pumpkin can cause beriberi and possibly jaundice. So it is better to eat it in moderation. In addition, try to avoid eating pumpkin with mutton, which may make you feel stuffed and bloated.