Pumpkin oil - beneficial properties for women, men and children

The beginning of the last month of autumn. The pumpkin harvest is coming and it's time to talk about this bright orange vegetable. You will learn a lot of interesting things about pumpkin and its beneficial and medicinal properties, about storing pumpkin and a little about what you can cook from pumpkin.

Pumpkin is one of the ancient cultivated plants. Traces of its cultivation were discovered three millennia BC. in Mexico.

After the discovery of America, pumpkin came to the European continent, and in the 16th century to Russia.

Pumpkin has the heaviest weight of all known cultivated plants, with 73% being pulp and 10% seeds. But this, as you understand, is not the main thing. The main thing is that it contains many valuable and useful substances: carotene (provitamin A) - in large quantities, vitamins C and B, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, silicon, cobalt, etc. It contains very rare vitamin T, responsible for blood clotting, platelet formation, and acceleration of metabolic processes.

Because of such a rich natural vitamin and mineral complex, pumpkin has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Avicenna recommended pumpkin decoction to treat coughs and chest pain. He suggested a mixture of pumpkin juice with rose oil to soothe ear pain and considered it useful for sore throats.

As usual, I will give several popular traditional medicine recipes, arranging them in alphabetical order by disease.

Chemical composition

Pumpkin is 91.8% water. It contains virtually no fat (0.1 g per 100 g of product), but is rich in proteins (1 g) and carbohydrates (4.4 g). Calorie content is 22 kcal in raw form, 25 kcal after heat treatment.

The pulp of the fruit also contains other biologically active components necessary for the body:

• pectin;
• cellulose;
• enzymes;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin A (retinol);
• vitamin C (ascorbic acid);
• vitamin D (calciferols);
• vitamins E, H, K, PP;
• trace elements: zinc, iron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, manganese, iodine;
• macroelements: sulfur, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, potassium, phosphorus, sodium.

What is pumpkin seed oil?

The beneficial properties of pumpkin oil are undeservedly forgotten

Premium quality pumpkin oil is made by cold pressing pumpkin seeds. The finished product tastes like seeds, but is not bitter, and is practically odorless. But the color of the oil is quite unusual. Out of habit, most buyers are accustomed to a dark green hue, but if you look from a different angle or change the lighting slightly, you can see a golden or even red color.

The pumpkin seed squeeze is very thick, so it does not spread even on a flat surface. Among culinary experts, it is customary to determine quality using a lettuce leaf. If a drop of oil does not spread over it, then the density has been met and the product was worth the money.

By the way, the price of pumpkin oil is quite high compared to sunflower and even olive oil. If you come across a product that costs several times cheaper than the standard market value, there is no need to rush into purchasing. Usually the cheaper one is a mixture where the pumpkin takes up less than half the volume.

A small sediment confirms the quality of the oil; in addition, it is advisable to look at the bottling date, since a fresh product is more useful.

It is worth remembering that pumpkin seed oil does not like high temperatures (frying): most of the vitamins and nutrients are lost, but harmful and even toxic elements are synthesized.

What is the effectiveness of pumpkin for peptic ulcers?

Stomach ulcer is a chronic disease. It occurs when the protective components of the gastric mucosa cease to cope with traumatic factors - these include gastric juice and the microbe Helicobacter pylori. Smoking and alcohol increase the risk of developing ulcers. The mucous membrane is injured, causing pain in the epigastric region after eating, nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.

Patients are prohibited from taking products that will irritate the mucous membrane due to their physical or chemical properties. The former include, for example, raw vegetables with coarse fiber, nuts and seeds, and dried fruits. The second includes acidic foods, as well as those that cause increased secretion of gastric juice.

Pumpkin, with its soft texture and neutral pH balance, is one of those foods that an irritated stomach can digest easily and without pain.

Pumpkin has a beneficial effect on the body:

• soothes irritated mucous membranes;
• accelerates the healing process of ulcerative lesions in the stomach;
• prevents the destruction of living cells by free radicals;
• participates in the formation of new cells;
• removes waste, toxins, chloride salts from the body;
• improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• prevents the formation of fatty deposits in the body;
• reduces cholesterol and excess fluid;
• has a laxative effect, facilitates the process of defecation;
• normalizes the motility of the stomach and intestines.

The vegetable is especially useful for bleeding stomach ulcers. The potassium present in the composition stimulates hematopoiesis, prevents the development of anemia, and removes sodium ions that irritate the gastric mucosa. Minerals and trace elements, in turn, have a beneficial effect on the immune system.

Can I eat sunflower seeds?

Sunflower seeds are considered a popular product that brings great benefits to the body of healthy people. But it remains unclear whether it is possible to eat seeds if a stomach ulcer develops. This question interests many people. Doctors categorically do not advise eating this product with this diagnosis. It poses a particular danger to pregnant women.

Deviations in diet can cause a relapse of ulcerative pathology. Also, eating seeds provokes damage to the gallbladder and causes the following symptoms:

• intense abdominal pain that occurs after a quarter of an hour;
• flatulence;
• burning sensation;
• belching.

People with ulcers are advised to avoid eating sunflower seeds.

Seeds contain a lot of oils and carbohydrates. This is a fairly high-calorie product. Roasted seeds are almost completely devoid of valuable elements. They contain carcinogenic components that can provoke malignant tumors.

Attention! If a crop grows in polluted regions, cadmium accumulates in its fruits, which poses a health hazard. If the seeds are poorly washed, they lead to dust and dirt settling in the oral cavity. This may cause toxicity or infection.

How to properly use pumpkin for medicinal purposes

Fruit pulp and seeds are used as medicinal raw materials. The vegetable is consumed fresh or steamed, boiled, baked, or stewed. During heat treatment, pumpkin does not lose its beneficial properties, and the amount of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and other components important for the body remains virtually unchanged.

It is not recommended to fry fruit pulp with the addition of butter and fats, as this releases harmful carcinogens and increases the calorie content of the dish.

Important. Some nutritionists advise eating pumpkin in stewed form: this way it is absorbed faster, easier to digest, without causing heaviness in the stomach.

For stomach ulcers, begin to consume fruits at a rate of 20-30 g per day. Gradually, the daily norm is increased to 150-200 g. The portion can be adjusted, taking into account the severity of the disease. You should not take pulp, seeds and juice - choose one option to make it easier to calculate the dosage of the product.

The course of treatment lasts from 10 days to 2 months. More precise dates are determined by the doctor, taking into account the body’s reaction to the treatment. If necessary, after a break, a repeat course is prescribed.

Pumpkin storage

Pumpkins with stems are harvested before frost. For long-term storage, fruits must be stored without damage. Store at a temperature of +1 – +30C with a relative humidity of 70-75%. And if you keep it in the sun for 7-10 days after harvesting, it will preserve even better. There are varieties that are stored in dry rooms for up to two to three years, but in conditions of high humidity (more than 85%) - only up to 2-3 months. An interesting feature is that during storage, the starch in pumpkin is converted to sugar, which improves its taste.

Top 5 recipes

Nutritionists have developed many recipes to ensure that the diet for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is varied. Let's look at a few popular recipes.

Pumpkin puree soup

Ingredients:

• pumpkin pulp - 500 g;
• medium carrots - 1 pc.;
• medium onion - 1 pc.;
• olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.

Recipe:

Peel the pumpkin from seeds and peel, cut into small cubes. Place pumpkin, chopped onions and carrots in a saucepan with water or low-fat broth, add olive oil. Cook covered over low heat for 30-40 minutes from the moment it boils.

Depending on the type of pumpkin, it may take longer to cook. Blend the cooled soup with a blender until pureed. Serve with herbs and croutons, bread.

Pumpkin salad

Ingredients:

• pumpkin - 250 g;
• apple - 2 pcs.;
• kiwi - 1 pc.;
• orange juice - 1 tbsp. l;
• walnut 70-100 g;
• honey to taste.

If the ulcer bleeds, onions will help.

Another medicinal product for stomach ulcers is onions, steamed or baked. It should be taken 1-2 times a day, 50-100 g, 15 minutes before meals. The course of treatment for ulcers is 2-3 weeks. This course of treatment can be repeated after a 10-day break.

Many people believe that when onions are cooked, they lose all their healing properties, but this is not true. They are completely preserved, with the exception of essential oils, which evaporate along with the steam during the cooking process.

Onions have long been considered one of the universal plants that protects and cures all sorts of diseases and ailments. The benefits of onions are determined by the large number of active components contained in feathers and bulbs.

The plant contains sugars, vitamins and minerals. In addition, the beneficial properties of onions are determined by the content of inulin, protein, pantothenic acid, carotene, flavonoids, quercetin, enzymes and phytoncides.

The substance allicin contained in onions has good hypoglycemic and antimicrobial properties, so baked and boiled onions (to eliminate irritating essential oils) are used for indigestion, colitis, atherosclerosis and sclerotic form of hypertension.

Top 5 pumpkin recipes for treatment

Taking into account patient reviews, we can say that there is a wide range of home treatment recipes using this fruit, here are the most popular and effective:

1. Peel the ripe vegetable from the peel and seeds, cut about 300-350 g into small pieces and pour a liter of milk over them. After that, put it all in the oven at a temperature of 150-160 degrees and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Next, take it out, wrap it in a towel for 20-25 minutes and crush the pumpkin with a mortar until you obtain a homogeneous paste. Drink half a glass 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

2. Pumpkin juice: you need to cut the vegetable into small pieces and pass through a juicer (or through a sieve and cheesecloth). Pumpkin juice for stomach ulcers helps reduce acidity and normalizes digestion. You can drink up to 3 glasses of pumpkin juice per day.

3. Pumpkin oil. It is recommended to take 1 tbsp to prevent exacerbations. 2-3 times a day an hour before meals.

4. A handful of pumpkin seeds must be crushed in a coffee grinder and brewed like regular tea. You can drink 2-4 times a day, 150-200 ml.

5. Chop and boil the vegetable until tender, then puree and add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Eat 200 g on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is from 2 to 6 weeks.

In the video you will see many recipes for treatment with this vegetable:

Nutrition rules

For patients with duodenal ulcers, there are certain contraindications for consuming products.

Basic rules of nutrition for duodenal ulcers:

1. It is contraindicated to overload the digestive system. Therefore, you need to eat in small portions 5-6 times a day, in the postoperative period we sit down at the table 7-8 times.
2. The food is enveloping and does not irritate the gastric mucosa. Dishes should be pureed or mushy and only warm.
3. We remove foods from the diet that stimulate the production of gastric juice.
4. You need to eat less salt.
5. Don't drink alcohol.
6. Contraindications to fatty, fried, spicy, smoked foods, mushrooms, seeds.
7. It is absolutely forbidden to eat rich pastries and rye bread.

In addition to recommendations regarding nutrition, patients with peptic ulcer disease are often prescribed a drinking regime in the form of drinking mineral water. The doctor decides whether to prescribe it before or after meals. As a rule, patients drink 200 ml three times a day, in small portions. A specialist determines the temperature and type of water used.

Highly mineralized mineral waters are contraindicated. Which ones are correct to take? Often prescribed waters that have good reviews are “Borjomi”, “Truskavets”, “Essentuki No. 4”, “Sairme”, “Smirnovskaya No. 1”, “Luzhanskaya”.

You cannot take your own chosen mineral water. At this time, the body is cleansed in parallel. Sometimes, when using them, individual reactions of the body appear in the form of increased pain, heartburn, belching, nausea, bleeding, indigestion, in which case the attending physician may decide to stop the course of treatment with water and order additional tests.

It is allowed to take berry, fruit or vegetable juices, provided they are diluted with water, or tea with added milk. What percentage of the liquid consumed they will be is discussed with the doctor. The diet for duodenal ulcer is divided into three stages; more about them below.

Top 5 pumpkin recipes in nutrition

Pumpkin ripens in the fall and can be stored for quite a long time, but unfortunately, not all housewives know the health benefits of dishes made from this aromatic vegetable. And as you know, it can be used with great success in salads, can become a sweet dessert or be an ingredient for main courses. Let's look at the most popular dishes allowed for illnesses:

• Take 20 g of dried apricots, rinse it, steam it and boil it. Stew 150 g pumpkin in 3 tbsp. sour cream over low heat. Mix these ingredients, add 2 tsp. flour, 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. butter. It is good to eat when the first symptoms of the disease appear.

• Boil finely chopped onion and carrots in 1 liter of water (for 20 minutes), add chopped pumpkin, boil for another 30 minutes, then let it brew. This soup is an excellent dish for periods of exacerbation.

• Chop 300 g of vegetables and cook for 25-35 minutes in a double boiler. Can be eaten as a side dish or as a main dish in remission.

• Chop carrots, zucchini and pumpkin, season with olive oil, add a little salt. You can eat only during the period of remission, because... the dish contains a lot of fiber.

• Grate the pumpkin (you should get 1 tbsp of gruel), cook it over low heat, add 2 tbsp of milk. After this, add 1 cup of oatmeal and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Next, remove from heat and add butter and sugar to taste. Can be used to prevent ulcers even for children.

Doctor's opinion

To summarize, we can conclude that pumpkin is one of the safest and most proven products for the treatment and prevention of stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Gastric and duodenal ulcers are a serious disease that requires treatment to avoid exacerbations. In addition to the doctor’s medication recommendations, adherence to a therapeutic diet aimed at sparing the stomach is indicated. Proper nutrition will help relieve pain during exacerbation and promote effective treatment and recovery.

Kefir will help the ulcer heal.

The recipe is that you need to drink a glass of one-day kefir with the addition of a tablespoon of sunflower oil 3 times a day on an empty stomach for 3 months.

A mixture of kefir and vegetable oil helps heal ulcers. It is better to use natural olive oil. The monounsaturated fatty acids of this oil are necessary to restore the integrity of the mucous membrane, and kefir envelops and extinguishes acidity.

In addition, kefir itself is a useful and medicinal product that helps restore normal intestinal microflora. This creates conditions for normalizing the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Therapeutic diet for stomach and duodenal ulcers

Gastric and duodenal ulcers occur as a result of damage to the spiral-shaped microbe Helicobacter pylori of the mucous membrane. The disease is accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen, heartburn, nausea, and belching. Untimely treatment leads to life-threatening complications.

A therapeutic diet for stomach and duodenal ulcers is prescribed in combination with medications prescribed by a doctor and is aimed at sparing the stomach by consuming foods in the menu that do not stimulate the secretion of gastric juice. Healthy nutrition in the treatment of the disease is aimed at protecting the gastric mucosa from thermal and mechanical damage, and therefore food is consumed in processed form at room temperature.

Principles of nutrition

The diet for gastric and duodenal ulcers is to reduce the consumption of foods in the menu that increase the secretion of gastric juice. The diet should be dominated by: cereals, soups, dairy products, poultry, steamed or boiled, and heat-treated vegetables. Prescribed for a period of 10 to 12 days.

Benefits and contraindications

The inflamed mucosa is sensitive to irritants, including spicy and hot foods, dry snacks, overeating, side effects of antibiotics, alcohol abuse and smoking. The oil gently envelops damaged walls and effectively protects them from further destruction, stimulates food digestion and improves peristalsis. The antibacterial effect that some types of product have will be useful if the cause of gastritis is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Vegetable oils can treat inflammation and regenerate mucous membranes.

It should be noted that in advanced stages of gastritis and gastroduodenitis, treatment with oil will be ineffective. The optimal result is achieved at the initial and middle stages of the disease.

A gastroenterologist will help you choose the right remedy and method of use in combination. An overdose can cause vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and even seizures. This treatment is carefully and carefully prescribed to children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as to people with allergies. When choosing, it is important to pay attention to storage conditions and expiration dates. Oil intended for treatment should not be subjected to heat treatment. Such therapy should absolutely not be prescribed for the following disorders:

• intestinal disorders;
• cholelithiasis;
• individual intolerance to the product.

Potatoes and cabbage.

According to one folk recipe, a decoction of boiled potatoes helps against ulcers and gastritis. Just don’t add salt to the broth. You should drink 1 glass of this decoction, preferably 2 times a day, during the course of treatment.

Potato decoction has almost the same effect as raw potato juice, only the effect of the decoction is milder.

Potato decoction reduces the acidity of gastric juice, and this is its main effect.

The decoction also activates anti-inflammatory processes and has a detrimental effect on cancer cells. In addition, potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, which is so important for the body.

Whole fresh potato juice very actively inhibits the secretion of the digestive glands, so it is used as an anti-acid agent for gastritis with increased secretion and acidity, for gastric and duodenal ulcers, and constipation.

It helps stop heartburn, nausea and vomiting, and reduces pain in the intestines and stomach. In order to prevent spring-autumn exacerbation of gastric and duodenal ulcers, you should drink potato juice 2 times a year, in early spring and autumn, for 2 weeks, 1/4-1/2 cup 2 times a day before meals.

Preparing potato juice: it is better to choose red potato tubers for this purpose. To prepare the juice, washed and peeled raw potato tubers are passed through a meat grinder twice or grated.

Cabbage juice is recommended for patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers. In cases of high acidity, it is used in the form of whole juice.

► Cabbage juice helps reduce pain, stop vomiting, nausea, heartburn and constipation. In addition, cabbage juice contains a specific anti-ulcer factor - vitamin U, which is especially useful.

Take it 1-1.5 glasses 4 times a day 45 minutes before meals, warm. The course of treatment is 20-40 days.

Preparation of cabbage juice: chop and crush fresh cabbage in a non-oxidizing container, since the main active ingredient, vitamin U, is destroyed, then squeeze out the juice.

How to dry and store seeds

Seeds should be selected only from ripe crops. They should not be empty or uneven. Each seed is carefully separated from the pumpkin pulp and laid out on dry paper or cloth in a layer of 1-2 cm. The grains are dried in a room with good ventilation. They should be stirred periodically. There is no need to rinse the seeds before drying.

Store dried seeds in a glass jar or a bag made of natural fabric. The place for this should be dark and cool. Cleaned fresh grains are stored in a container in the refrigerator for no more than a month, dried seeds in bags are kept for no more than a year.

Health benefits of pumpkin seeds

This product is rightly called the pantry of health, because it contains a huge amount of components necessary for the normal functioning of the body. This includes:

• pectin;
• amino acids;
• saturated fatty acids (arachidic, behenic, palmitic, stearic, myristic;
• unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linolenic, linoleic, arachidonic, Omega-6, Omega-3);
• phytosterol;
• vitamins (especially a large amount of vitamin PP. In 100 g of dried seeds - 170% of the daily value);
• mineral salts;
• alimentary fiber.

Pumpkin seeds contain a large amount of minerals:

• manganese - 230%;
• phosphorus - 155%;
• magnesium - 145%;
• copper - 135%;
• zinc - 65%;
• iron - 50%.

A little less than the following:

• silicon;
• selenium;
• chlorine;
• cobalt;
• potassium;
• choline;
• iodine.

In total, they contain more than 50 macro- and microelements. The lack of these substances in the body leads to decreased muscle tone, weakness, headaches, disturbances in the functioning of the urinary and cardiovascular organs, and pathologies of the osteoarticular system.

It is impossible not to note the high content of beneficial amino acids in the product, including:

• tryptophan (0.6 g) - 145%;
• arginine (5.4 g) - 100%;
• phenylalanine and tyrosine (2.8 g) - 100%;
• valine (1.6 g) - 85%;
• isoleucine (1.3 g) - 85%;
• leucine (2.4 g) - 75%;
• histidine → 0.78 g → 71%
• methionine and cysteine ​​(about.95 g) - 65%;
• threonine (1 g) - 65%;
• lysine (1.2 g) - 35%;

The benefits are greater from fresh, raw pumpkin seeds.

100 g of pumpkin seeds contain 541 kcal, most of them contain fat - 45.8 g, protein - 24.5 g, carbohydrates - 20 g.

Sea buckthorn will heal the ulcer

Almost everyone who has a plot of land or a dacha grows sea buckthorn. This is a beautiful ornamental plant, but it is also an opportunity to get medicinal berries, which help out in many cases.

Squeeze the juice from sea buckthorn berries and leave it in a cold place. When the oil settles, it floats to the surface and is removed. The oil obtained in this way is considered to be of the highest quality. When treating stomach and duodenal ulcers, this oil should be taken 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Sea buckthorn is used as an analgesic, wound-healing and multivitamin remedy for vitamin deficiencies, peptic ulcers and other stomach diseases, dysentery, cancer, as a means of regulating metabolism, and as a substitute for fish oil.

Sea buckthorn contains valuable omega-3 acids, which are necessary for the restoration processes of any cells, especially mucous membranes. This is an excellent healing remedy, including in the case of gastritis and peptic ulcers.

Externally, sea buckthorn is used for rashes, eczema and other skin diseases, for the treatment of long-term non-healing wounds, trophic ulcers, infectious diseases, cervical erosions, burns and frostbite.

The oil, juice, extract and extract are used for the prevention and treatment of premature aging and muscle dystrophy, as an anti-sclerotic agent, lowering cholesterol, normalizing blood pressure and preventing tumor formation.

In folk medicine, not only fruit juice and oil are used, but also alcohol and water tinctures, as well as syrup. Therefore, everyone will find for themselves what is more suitable or what they like best.

Contraindications to the use of sea buckthorn may be increased acidity, as well as increased sensitivity to this plant, acute diseases of the pancreas, gall bladder, liver, as well as a tendency to diarrhea.