The benefits of pumpkin juice are not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, much is known about the beneficial properties and composition of the pumpkin. The product is very nutritious, while low-calorie, due to which it has found its application in cosmetology and nutrition.

Pumpkin juice - composition, calorie content

The greatest value of pumpkin juice in a high content of pectin. This substance is necessary for proper metabolism in the body, so the product is often used in diets. Pectin also reduces the formation of cholesterol in the blood and normalizes blood circulation. Pectin is believed to be a strong natural antioxidant, therefore it is useful to residents of large cities, which most often have low immunity.

Also pumpkin drink has the following vitamins and minerals:

  • carotene - a source of youth and longevity due to the ability to strengthen the cardiovascular system, provide a preventive effect against cancer, strengthen the retina, protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation;
  • vitamins of groups A, B, C, E, PP - important substances for the normal functioning of the whole organism;
  • rarely found vitamin K - is necessary for normal blood coagulation;
  • ascorbic acid - supports the immune system, which is especially important during the season change;
  • minerals - calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, silicon, fluorine, magnesium.

The calorie content of the juice prepared according to the recipe below will be 38 kcal per 100 g of the finished product. It is worth remembering that sugar increases the calorie content of the drink, so when the proportions change, the value will increase.

Important! Pumpkin is recommended to use in spring and autumn. During vitamin deficiency, trace elements are simply necessary for the body.

The benefits of pumpkin juice for women

Vitamin E supports the elasticity of the skin, a healthy color. Therefore, it is used in home cosmetology for the preparation of masks and tonics for the face. A regular use of pumpkin juice guarantees the strengthening of the body as a whole and the maintenance of youth and female beauty.

The calorie content of the vegetable is small, so it is often used during the diet.

With menopause, pumpkin and dishes from it will be useful in that they reduce the severity of symptoms of this period.

How to use pumpkin juice?

Depending on the purpose for which the product is planned, there are some recommendations for use:

  1. For preventive purposes, to maintain immunity, it is recommended to drink ½ cup freshly squeezed pumpkin juice half an hour before a meal once a day. You can mix pumpkin juice with orange - you get a very powerful tool to maintain immunity and fight viruses
  2. With insomnia, you can drink a glass of juice with a spoon of honey diluted in it an hour before bedtime.
  3. As an unloading menu for 1 day, you can use pumpkin juice - the product is drunk during the day, instead of eating and having snacks. When you spend 1 unloading day once a week, you can lose up to 2 kg at a time.

For different ages, there are rules for how to drink pumpkin juice:

  • Children can drink no more than 3 glasses of juice per day.
  • It is enough for a healthy woman as a prophylaxis to drink ½ -1 a glass of juice in the morning.
  • During pregnancy, ½ cup of juice per day is also sufficient to combat toxicosis.

Pumpkin is a hypoallergenic product, so it can be given even to small children.

Read also:what is pumpkin useful for

Useful properties and possible harm during pregnancy

One of the most important benefits for pregnant women is the ability of the product to reduce the symptoms of toxicosis. It also regulates the bowel due to the content of dietary fiber.

Do not forget that the pumpkin is rich in vitamins that are so necessary for the mother during the period of bearing the baby, and the baby himself, for normal intrauterine development and growth.

Pumpkin can be harmful only if a woman consumes it, despite contraindications.

Can I drink pumpkin juice while breastfeeding?

Pumpkin juice improves milk production, which is so important in the early stages of feeding while the body is rebuilding. It is also used as one of the types of the first feeding of the child. But you need to be careful in regulating the taken doses of the product - the baby may change stool. If the juice has a laxative effect, the amount of the product must be reduced, or temporarily abandon its use.

Important! Juice used as complementary foods should be freshly squeezed and diluted with water. If suddenly the body does not take the product and allergy symptoms appear - pumpkin feeding should be stopped.

Application in cosmetology: recipes

In cosmetology, the vegetable is used to treat acne and acne, as well as to strengthen nails, skin and hair.

We suggest taking note of several recipes based on a pumpkin product:

  • Nourishing face mask. Beat the egg yolk thoroughly with a whisk from the 3rd table. l pumpkin juice and 1 teaspoon. l honey. Apply the mass on the face for a quarter of an hour, then rinse with warm water.
  • Means against skin inflammation and acne. Pumpkin juice is used as an impregnation of a small cut of gauze. It is put on the face for a third of an hour, after washing off the remains from the face. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times a week for 3-4 weeks.
  • Means for hair against split ends. The product is prepared from egg yolk, burdock oil and liquid honey. Everything is taken in the amount of one tablespoon. It is applied to the ends of the hair half an hour before shampooing.
  • A tonic for aging skin. Freshly squeezed pumpkin juice is used as a tonic: it moistens a cotton pad and wipes the skin of the face, neck and decollete several times. After half an hour, the product residues can be washed off with warm water.
  • Strengthening nails. Pumpkin seed oil can be used to soften the cuticle and improve the elasticity of the nail plate. To do this, rub the product every 1-2 days before bedtime into the nails and the skin around them. After two weeks, it is recommended to take a break, replacing it with another remedy, for example, an ordinary baby cream. The course can be repeated.

How to make pumpkin juice at home?

Pumpkin juice is most beneficial if it is cooked at home and not bought in a store.

For home juice, you need the following list of products:

  • 500 g of pumpkin pulp without seeds and peel;
  • 100 g of sugar;
  • 50 g of lemon juice;
  • 1 liter of water.

The cooking process is as follows:

  1. Three pumpkin flesh on a fine grater into the pulp.
  2. Boil water, dissolve sugar in it.
  3. Transfer pumpkin gruel into water, wait for boiling again, periodically stirring the contents of the pan.
  4. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, stir the juice in it and use a blender to turn it into a homogeneous juice with pulp.

If you don’t like juice with pulp, you can squeeze juice from grated pulp through cheesecloth before cooking. Further, the pulp can be used as a cosmetic product - for example, to make a face mask by combining it with the pulp of other fruits, egg yolk, honey, cosmetic oils or other nutritious products.

Contraindications and possible harm

Improper intake of the product is harmful to the body. Therefore, do not drink pumpkin juice if you are not sure about the absence of contraindications.

Possible contraindications:

  1. Pumpkin causes a decrease in blood sugar, which diabetics need to know about.
  2. Low acidity of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract pathology are contraindications for juice intake.
  3. Allergy.
  4. Tendency to diarrhea.
  5. In diseases of the liver and kidneys, a pumpkin drink can be included in the diet as a remedy, but only at the discretion of the doctor.

If there are any contraindications, the product should never be consumed. On the recommendation of a doctor, it is possible to take juice from pumpkin in a small amount and with certain time intervals.

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