Pumpkin power

Pumpkins aren’t just for decorating your porch and spooking your neighbor’s kids. These squashes are packed with nutrients and offer a range of health benefits. Eating pumpkin (either fresh or canned) can help you:

• Feel fuller: Pumpkins and their seeds are rich in fiber, which helps stave off hunger pangs.

• Fight infection: The pumpkin’s orange coloring comes from its wealth of beta carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A, helping you fight infections and viruses.

• See better: Vitamin A is essential for eye health, and pumpkin also contains lutein and zeaxanthin—two antioxidants thought to help prevent cataracts.

• Look younger: Beta carotene also protects skin from the sun’s wrinkle-causing UV rays.

• Lower your cancer risk: Research shows that people whose diets are rich in beta-carotene may have a lower risk of some types of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer.

Source: www.webmd.com