Many gardening enthusiasts grow pumpkins. A variety of dishes are prepared from this culture, from soups to sweet pies. But few people know how beneficial pumpkin is for the immune system. The organic substances included in its composition improve health and protect against viral infections.
Compound
Most of the fruit is water. Its amount reaches 90% of the weight of the vegetable. Despite this, the chemical and nutritional composition of the fruits of this crop is quite diverse:
- Vitamins: A, groups B, C, P, E, PP.
- Macroelements: potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium.
- Microelements: iron, iodine, fluorine, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt.
- Digestible carbohydrates: starch and its derivatives, sugars, glucose, fructose, sucrose.
- Organic: linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic.
- Pectins.
- Dietary fiber (fiber).
Thanks to its components, the vegetable does not spoil for a long time if storage conditions are observed.
Pumpkin: benefits and harm to the body
Pumpkin has undoubted benefits for promoting health and ensuring the vital functions of the body.
The vegetable contains the most carotene and ascorbic acid. These components, as well as tocopherol, maintain general tone by participating in metabolic processes, hormone synthesis, regulating hematopoiesis and creating barriers to the access of viruses from the external environment.
They are also necessary for the full growth and formation of bone, cartilage and soft tissues, healing of wound surfaces, stimulation of the pancreas and thyroid gland, and cell renewal.
B vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, biotin, pantothenic and folic acids) neutralize the negative effects, ensure energy metabolism and stable digestion, and strengthen the immune system.
Macroelements form the basis of tissues of all types in the body and are vital for humans. They participate in the regulation of most life processes, are responsible for bone strength, muscle elasticity, the functioning of organs and systems, and activate enzymes. A deficiency of at least one of these substances can lead to the development of serious pathologies.
The role of microelements is also very significant. Iodine regulates the functioning of the glands, especially the thyroid. Iron is included in the structure of blood cells, participating in the process of hematopoiesis. Manganese normalizes the functioning of the nervous and reproductive systems, improves memory. Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth. Copper helps absorb iron, stimulates the processes of cell reproduction and growth, and ensures skin pigmentation.
Organic acids are responsible for a stable acid-base balance and stimulate digestion.
Pectins help remove waste and toxins.
Fiber plays an important role in digestion. It stimulates intestinal motility, causing it to work. And stable functioning of the digestive system is the key to good health.
Pumpkin is most beneficial when eaten raw. However, there are always exceptions, and not everyone can eat healthy orange fruits.
Contraindications
First of all, this melon crop is contraindicated, since it contains a large amount of sugars (especially in its raw form).
- gastritis with low acidity;
- duodenal ulcer;
- stomach ulcer;
- intestinal colic;
- allergies.
Even people who do not suffer from the above diseases should not overuse orange vegetables, since everything is good in moderation.
Recipes with pumpkin for immunity
The variety of dishes that can be prepared from the pulp of this healthy crop is amazing. In addition, many of them will help improve your health. Even sweet dishes made from the orange beauty, including jam, have beneficial properties.
Many health-promoting recipes contain honey and. It should be remembered that these products should not be consumed if you have or are prone to allergies. Diabetics need to be careful with honey, and citrus fruits are harmful for stomach diseases. Therefore, before preparing and taking it, it is advisable to consult a specialist.
Lemon and honey mixture
One of the recognized remedies is pumpkin with lemon and. To prepare, you need to take 350 g of peeled, seeded and chopped pumpkin pulp, one medium-sized citrus, scalded with boiling water and cut into several pieces, and 250 g of honey (preferably uncandied). All products are placed in a blender and thoroughly crushed until smooth. Stores in a glass jar with a screw-on lid in the refrigerator for several months.
Jam with dried apricots
For 1 kg of pumpkin pulp, peeled and grated on the coarse side of a grater, take 300 g of washed and steamed pumpkin pulp and 350 g of honey or sugar. Mix the ingredients in a wide, thick-walled saucepan and put on fire. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Repeat the procedure 2 more times. If desired, the resulting jam can be placed in sterilized glass jars and rolled up. It should be stored in a cool, dark place.
Vitamin mixture
Taken together, pumpkin and lemon are of great value for immunity. With periodic consumption of a properly prepared mixture of these products, the body will be under strong protection from various colds.
Peel and chop 300 g of orange pulp. Remove the skin from a three-centimeter fresh ginger root and also chop it. Wash 2 medium-sized lemons, scald with boiling water and chop, removing the seeds but leaving the zest. Beat the products in a blender or grind through a meat grinder. Add 200 g of liquid honey and mix well. The mixture is stored in a glass container in the refrigerator.
Juice with honey
Another recipe for immunity with pumpkin is juice. To prepare it, take a medium-sized vegetable (depending on the desired quantity finished product), cut into pieces, peel and grind through a meat grinder along with the seeds. The pulp is mixed with honey in a 3:1 ratio and left in a dark place for 10 days, stirring occasionally. Then the mixture is filtered and the resulting juice is poured into a glass container.
Cocktail with sea buckthorn and banana
Remove the peel from one banana and 150 g pumpkin and grate. Pour 4 tablespoons of washed water into a glass of water and chop, then strain. Beat the fruit and vegetable pulp together with sea buckthorn juice. If desired, you can add a little ground cinnamon.
In autumn and winter, during the period of flu and colds, our immunity has a hard time fighting viruses. Therefore, it would be very useful to take care of the body’s resistance to any infection. At home, in a matter of minutes, you can prepare a real vitamin “bomb” that will help cope with loss of strength, improve digestion, strengthen blood vessels and overcome insomnia. Vitamin mix with ginger, lemon, pumpkin and honey - just a treasure trove useful substances and vitamins!
Total cooking time - 0 hours 10 minutes
Active cooking time - 0 hours 10 minutes
Cost - very economical
Calorie content per 100 g - 87 kcal
Number of servings - 6 servings
Ingredients:
Lemon - 2 pcs.
Pumpkin – 300 g
Ginger - 20 g (5-7 cm piece)
Honey - 150 g
Preparation:
1. For a vitamin mix with ginger, lemon, pumpkin and honey, wash the lemons well, put them in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them. Wait 1 minute and carefully remove the fruit. This is necessary so that the excess bitterness goes away and the skin becomes softer, because according to the recipe, the citrus fruits will need to be crushed along with the peel.
2. Cut the lemon into large pieces (if you come across seeds, be sure to remove them).
3. Peel the skin of the ginger root. You will need a piece of about 20 g. The more ginger there is in the dish, the more spicy and pungent its taste will be. If you plan to give a remedy to strengthen the immune system to children, then take just a little of the aromatic root (about 10 g).
4. Peel the pumpkin. Try to choose sweet and flavorful squash varieties, such as Butternut (which is shaped like a guitar).
5. Cut the pumpkin into medium cubes.
6. Now you need to grind all the ingredients. If you want to make the mixture smoother and more uniform (like puree), then use a blender. If you want small particles of pumpkin and lemon to be present in the dish, use a meat grinder.
7. Add honey to the prepared mass, mix well and transfer to a dry, clean jar.
Pumpkin dishes have a huge number of advantages: like any vegetable, it is incredibly healthy and low in calories. In addition, it is very beautiful even when cooked and can easily diversify your daily menu. For some reason, many people disdain vegetables because they don’t know what they can be cooked with and don’t suspect that they can even be made sweet. For example, there is a very simple recipe for pumpkin with ginger and honey.
The most beautiful, bright and regal fruit of autumn is the pumpkin; it always looks so appetizing on the shelves that it is impossible to resist. It also looks good as a decoration for the home, but alas, it cannot stand forever, but you can make a huge amount from it. different dishes and delicacies. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that salty dishes are made from pumpkin, but this is not always the case. Spicy dishes are also very popular and even have some cultural significance as part of national cuisine in some countries.
There are many options for preparing this product and they are all very diverse. With the addition of pumpkin you can make a wonderful stew with meat and tomatoes. A puree soup is made from pumpkin with cream, which has an original taste, is healthy and looks very appetizing due to its orange color. There are many recipes using this symbol of autumn:
- Spaghetti with pumpkin.
- Pumpkin stuffed with meat.
- Risotto.
- Pumpkin pancakes.
- Millet porridge with pumpkin pieces.
- Pumpkin pie.
- Pumpkin jam.
And if you want to try several of these recipes at once, you can divide the pumpkin into pieces and cook several dishes at once. In addition, the vegetable is perfectly stored in the refrigerator and if you do not want to cook it all at once, then this is not a problem.
Read also: How to make delicious ginger and lemon jam - step by step recipes
Recipe
Pumpkin cooked with ginger, honey, spices, perhaps with the addition of lemon or orange slices (juice) will turn out especially tender if you wrap it in foil when baking. An incredibly beautiful and original treat for friends, which also does not spoil your figure, because unlike many sweets, this dessert contains only vegetables and spices (possibly also fruits if desired), which is important.
Treat ingredients
To prepare this dish you will need:
- pumpkin;
- ginger;
- cinnamon.
If desired, you can add spices that will add piquancy:
- lemon (can be replaced with lime or orange);
- saffron;
- nutmeg.
Preparation before cooking
Before you start cooking, you need to wash and peel the pumpkin from the seeds, then it should be divided into parts to make it easier to peel and remove the peel. After this, it should be cut into equal-sized pieces so that they look beautiful on the table and cook at the same time.
Before placing the pieces on a baking sheet, you should line it parchment paper, if you don’t have it at hand, you can simply lubricate it with oil.
Adding ingredients
The next step is to grate or finely chop the ginger; if you chop it coarsely, the taste of the pumpkin with ginger will be hot, and not just give off a pleasant spiciness, which will also be smoothed out due to baking. You can use dried ginger root. Adding ginger will give the dessert an unusual spicy taste and the aroma of oriental cuisine.
The final element will be spices, the main one of which is cinnamon, with which it is also important not to overdo it. After this, you can add lemon or orange juice, saffron, nutmeg and a little salt to taste.
Ingredients:
- pumpkin,
- orange,
- onion,
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar,
- 1-2 tsp. honey,
- ginger root (1-2 cm long),
- 2 tsp. olive oil.
Recipe with photos step by step:
The pumpkin must first be baked in the oven until cooked. Cut it into pieces, place it on a baking sheet lined with paper and put it in the oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
Shortly before the pumpkin is ready, you can start preparing the sauce. Fry the chopped onion for olive oil until soft.
We disassemble the orange into slices, peel off the films and cut into pieces. Cut the ginger very finely.
Add chopped orange and ginger to the onion. Then add a spoonful of honey and stir until the honey dissolves. Ginger quickly loses its pungency when cooked, so you need to cook it very quickly from this point on.
Add a spoonful of balsamic vinegar. It will add the necessary sourness to the sauce.
If desired, the pumpkin can be seasoned ready-made.
Cut the finished pumpkin into pieces and place in a frying pan. Mix with the sauce, heat together and remove the pan from the heat.
The pumpkin pieces are soaked sweet and sour sauce, acquired a spicy ginger aroma.
Serve this dish hot.
Bon appetit!
It is so provided by nature that a person himself is endowed with a fairly strong immune system, and, therefore, all our ailments are entirely our own fault. The reason for all this is that people have begun to take less and less care of their health, but there are also those who for a long time have not known what antiviral drugs are and you can be sure that they do not get vaccinated and certainly do not take any new ones pills. The answer to this question is very banal - such people have learned to eat the right products and skillfully know how to combine them, preparing truly “explosive cocktails” that are capable of increasing the body’s immune strength by several orders of magnitude. The clearest example of this is the combination of honey and pumpkin!
Pumpkin with honey and lemon for immunity
This kind of jam, and in fact this is exactly what is made, can be used as a sweet addition to coffee or tea. Well, or for example, as a filling for pancakes or thin fragrant pancakes. Believe me, you have never tried such a delicious thing, and besides, it’s mega-healthy!
To prepare the “medicine”, you need to pour boiling water over lemon and lime (1 piece each) in advance in order to rid the final product of unwanted bitterness. After this, chop the ginger root (1 medium piece) and pumpkin (300 - 350 g) into small cubes. At the same time, the amount of ginger can be adjusted, which depends solely on your attitude towards it. By the way, it’s worth chopping these products, remembering that in the future you will have to blend all this in a blender, so try not to chop it too coarsely. In the container for whipping the pumpkin and ginger, you should also add chopped lime and lemon - always with skin, but without seeds, as well as sugar (150 g) and honey (150 g).
With one press of a button, everything is thoroughly crushed and “voila” - a natural miracle cure is ready! Oh, yes - this pumpkin with honey and lemon for immunity also lasts a long time! In a refrigerator!
Pumpkin seeds with honey
You may be wondering why you need to mix these two ingredients. Everything here is extremely simple - pumpkin seeds contain a truly unique set of components that can significantly slow down the aging process in the body. Moreover, special attention should be paid to the final product for men, since such a combination has a very positive effect on men’s health.
In order to prepare such a folk remedy, you need to have only these two components on hand. Mixed up pumpkin seeds with honey in a ratio of 1 to 2 and can be stored in a cool place for about a week. At the same time, the daily dose of the finished product is only 1 teaspoon. l - it will be quite enough to fill the “vitamin holes” in the body. About a week of constant use will be enough to see the first “shifts”, namely an improvement in digestive processes, a surge of strength and energy.
Honey with pumpkin juice for immunity
Here the set of components is somewhat richer than the previous version, and you will have to tinker a little more. So, first you need to gather all the willpower you have into a fist and grate the peeled onion (2 pcs), and then extract the onion juice from this porridge using a squeezing method. Separately, Antonovka apples (4 pcs) are also ground on a grater and onion juice, pumpkin juice (10 tablespoons) and natural honey (2 teaspoons) are added to the resulting puree. This mixture is taken to increase immunity four times a day, 1 tablespoon. l must be done before meals.