Is pumpkin a vegetable?

Many people think that pumpkin is a kind of melon and should be classified as a fruit. In fact, this is not the case. There is an essential difference between vegetables and fruits in life. Generally speaking, fruits have a certain sweetness when eaten raw, but vegetables do not. Pumpkin is a typical vegetable. Proper consumption has the effects of moistening the lungs and replenishing qi, resolving phlegm and discharging pus. It is also warm in nature and can be eaten by many people. It is very good for the body.

1. Is pumpkin a vegetable?

There is an essential difference between vegetables and fruits. In botany, vegetables refer to the different parts of a plant, while fruits refer to the plant organs with seeds in a plant. Vegetables are rich in cellulose, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which are the main source of nutrients for the human body to maintain life and growth. Although most fruits contain vitamins, the carbohydrates they contain are mostly composed of monosaccharides and disaccharides such as glucose, fructose and sucrose.

Because of this, fruits have a certain sweetness while most vegetables are bland.

The main nutrients of pumpkin: every 100 grams contains 0.6 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 5.7 grams of carbohydrates, 1.1 grams of crude fiber, 0.6 grams of ash, 10 milligrams of calcium, 32 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.5 milligrams of iron, 0.57 milligrams of carotene, 0.04 milligrams of riboflavin, 0.7 milligrams of niacin, and 5 milligrams of ascorbic acid. The main nutrients are one of the criteria for distinguishing between vegetables and fruits, but they can only be eaten raw or cooked. If the distinction is unclear, vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes can be eaten raw.

2. The efficacy of pumpkin

Pumpkin not only has high edible value, but also has therapeutic effects that cannot be ignored. According to the "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica", pumpkin is warm in nature, sweet and non-toxic. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It can moisten the lungs and replenish qi, resolve phlegm and discharge pus, expel parasites and detoxify, treat cough and asthma, treat lung abscess and constipation, and has diuretic and beauty effects. Research experiments by medical experts and scholars at home and abroad have shown that eating pumpkin seeds can relieve the symptoms of prostate hypertrophy (pumpkin seeds can cure prostate hypertrophy), prevent prostate cancer, prevent and treat arteriosclerosis and gastric mucosal ulcers, and dissolve stones.

3. Nutritional value of pumpkin

Pumpkin is rich in nutrients, containing starch, protein, carotene, vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and other ingredients. Pumpkin is rich in carotene and vitamin C, which can strengthen the spleen, prevent gastritis, prevent and treat night blindness, protect the liver, make the skin tender, and neutralize carcinogens.

Yellow fruits and vegetables are also rich in two vitamins, A and D. Vitamin A can protect the gastrointestinal mucosa and prevent diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers. Vitamin D can promote the absorption of two mineral elements, calcium and phosphorus, and thus strengthen bones and tendons. It has a certain preventive effect on common diseases such as rickets in children, myopia in adolescents, and osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly people.