Pumpkin is a type of winter squash. While it is usually only available fresh in autumn, you can garnish the flavor, and most of the same health benefits, year-round from canned pumpkin. Flavor-wise, fresh tastes best but canned will do in a pinch. Canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, is full of vitamins and minerals, meets a vegetable requirement and, as an antioxidant-rich vegetable, offers other health benefits.
Nutrient-Rich
Canned pumpkin is a nutrient-rich food. Choosing foods low in calories and rich in nutrients benefits overall health and helps control weight. A 1/2 cup of pure canned pumpkin offers only 41 calories, less than 1 g of fat, 10 g of carbohydrate and 4 g dietary fiber. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, unlike other canned vegetables, it is nearly sodium-free. Like all orange vegetables, canned pumpkin is an excellent food source of Vitamin A, providing about 19,000 IU per 1/2 cup or over 300 percent of the Recommended Daily Value or DV for this nutrient. Vitamin A is an antioxidant nutrient that protects the body's cells from damage and is important for healthy eyesight. Canned pumpkin also contains two essential trace minerals---iron and manganese. Iron is a key component of hemoglobin, a part of red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen to all of the body's cells, which enables the cells to break down glucose and produce energy. Manganese functions as a co-factor or helper for many enzymes involved in energy metabolism as well as bone formation.
Protects the Heart
Winter squash is rich in beta-carotene, a vitamin A precursor responsible for its deep orange color. Beta-carotene offers powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so it's beneficial for heart health. Antioxidant nutrients such as beta-carotene help to prevent cholesterol from oxidation from free radicals or charged oxygen-like particles that may damage body cells. When cholesterol is oxidized, it builds up on blood and adheres to blood vessel walls, forming plaque. Plaque formation narrows arteries, contributing to the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating beta-carotene rich foods regularly may help prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. However, it is important to note that taking beta-carotene in vitamin supplement form does not offer the same benefits.
Other Benefits
As a vegetable, canned pumpkin contributes to your daily vegetable intake---which should be roughly 2.5 cups or the equivalent. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid recommendations are to consume two cups of orange vegetables weekly. Choosing from a variety of vegetables daily or "varying your veggies" is important for optimum health. Some of the many health benefits enjoyed by individuals that consume a diet rich in a variety of vegetables include: lower blood pressure, better weight control and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as certain types of cancer---such as mouth, stomach and colon-rectum.
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