Pumpkin... The Facts
The Power of Pumpkin is showcased in a simple serving of LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin, as it contains a rich source of nutrients while being low in calories and fat, and is naturally sodium-free. One ½-cup serving of pumpkin provides more than a days worth of Vitamin A with most in the form of the carotenoid “beta-carotene”, an antioxidant. Plus a serving of pumpkin provides a significant amount of your daily fiber requirement!
Antioxidants are important because they work to maintain good health by neutralizing free radicals, which are the harmful by-products of daily life.
Fiber has been found to help protect your body from heart disease and cancer. Plus, fiber promotes regularity while helping you feel full and satisfied!
To help you better understand why pumpkin should be part of your balanced diet, here are a few keys to this nutrition powerhouse:
Fiber
Fiber can be found in fruits, vegetables and grains. It is the part of the plant that your body can't digest, yet it is an important part of a healthy diet. Fiber, along with a balanced diet, has been found to help protect your body from heart disease and certain types of cancers. Plus, fiber helps to promote a healthy digestive tract and healthy weight! One serving of pumpkin provides 20% of your daily requirement for fiber.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is vital for eye health and vision, protects against infection, helps maintain healthy skin, bones and teeth and isessential for growth. Just one serving of pumpkin provides more than 100% of your daily Vitamin A requirement.
Carotenoids & Beta-Carotene
Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid that is the dark colored pigment found in plant foods. Beta-carotene is an effective antioxidant because it is ableto efficiently convert into a very usable form of Vitamin A. A pumpkin's deep orange color is the sign of its rich source of carotenoids. 80% of the Vitamin A in pumpkin is in the form of beta-carotene.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals. Antioxidants bind with free radicals before they can do damage tocells, protecting the body from disease. The antioxidants in pumpkin help to protect the body from free radicals.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are harmful by-products in our body created by a variety of factors including environmental pollution, smoking and certain chemicals. Under normal circumstances,our cells have a built-in mechanism for neutralizing free radicals. Emerging science suggests that when this system gets disrupted or overwhelmed, these free radicals can cause damage to cells which may be linked to disease.
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