Health benefits of pumpkins

Pumpkins have some surprising health benefits to them.

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 Pumpkin seems to be available to eat and drink

00:08 everywhere when fall rolls around.

00:09 And while these items may not always be

00:11 the healthiest thing for you,

00:13 pumpkin itself is a superfood.

00:15 - Pumpkin is rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C,

00:20 and the super nutrient we call beta carotene

00:24 that converts into vitamin A.

00:27 - Pumpkin is rich with vitamin A,

00:29 with a single cup being about 200% of your daily value.

00:32 - Vitamin A is great for your immune system.

00:35 It's crucial for the health of your immune system

00:38 and vision.

00:39 So specifically with night vision.

00:41 - These are just two advantages of consuming pumpkin

00:44 on a long list of benefits.

00:46 Studies have found that pumpkin is good for heart health,

00:48 that it could lower your risk for certain cancers and more.

00:51 Pumpkin's high fiber content also means it's good

00:54 for those working on losing weight.

00:56 - It is a great idea, especially this time of year

00:58 to incorporate pumpkin into meals and snacks

01:01 because it can help you stay fuller for longer

01:04 and gives that great digestive health benefit as well.

01:07 - When choosing a pumpkin to cook with,

01:09 Lamond recommends avoiding pumpkins

01:11 designed to be jack-o'-lanterns as they tend to be drier.

01:14 - Those are gonna be more hollow.

01:16 When you knock on it, you're gonna hear this hollow sound

01:19 and it's gonna be lighter.

01:21 You don't necessarily wanna eat those pumpkins.

01:23 You wanna eat a pumpkin that's gonna be nice and heavy.

01:26 Reporting for AccuWeather, I'm Lincoln Riddle.