Eating pumpkin may help you look younger and lose weight, experts say – Fox News

Pumpkin might be fall’s favorite fruit, but the winter squash is packed with vitamins and minerals that can help improve your health.

Here are a few facts you should know about pumpkins before you stop by your local pumpkin patch or grocery store.

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Pumpkins can help your eyesight

Pumpkins are a high source of vitamin A, which plays a significant role in eye health, according to experts.

According to Christie Gagnon – a registered dietitian at the food and lifestyle blog Hoorah to Health, the orange fruit “is packed full of vitamin A,” which is a nutrient that can “lower the risk of developing cataracts, a common cause of blindness.” 

Pumpkins are a high source of vitamin A, which plays a significant role in eye health, according to experts.
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Vitamin A also helps promote “good eyesight,” according to Michelle Rauch, a registered dietician at The Actors Fund Home – an assisted-living facility in Englewood, New Jersey.

She added, “It plays an important part in forming and maintaining soft and skeletal muscle tissue, bone and mucus membranes.”

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Additional compounds found in pumpkins that support vision health are lutein and zeaxanthin, two plant pigments that help to protect eyes from harmful light waves, according to WebMD.

Pumpkins are immunity boosters

Aside from vitamin A, pumpkins are a high source of vitamin C, which is a nutrient that has long been associated with boosting immunity.

“Vitamin C aids neutrophils, a type of immune cell, in carrying out various immune functions such as getting rid of harmful bacteria,” said Mackenzie Burgess, who is a registered dietician and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices – a food blog focused on offering simple meal solutions. “With flu season just around the corner, consuming more pumpkin may be a great way to support your immune system.”

Aside from vitamin A, pumpkins are a high source of vitamin C, which is a nutrient that has long been associated with immunity-boosting.
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