Pumpkins are of the family Cucurbitaceae, they are used most often for food and of course for Halloween, where they are emptied of their flesh and carved like the image below. We at Opening Space Retreat have a line of Pumpkins in our vegetable plot which are well on the way to producing these vast globes.
A little known fact about these comedians of the vegetable kingdom is their use in natural medicine. The main nutrients in pumpkins are: lutein, which is helpful to improve macular degeneration in the eyes and alpha and beta-carotene (the latter of which generates Vitamin A). The other medicinal properties of pumpkins are anti- diabetic, anti-oxidant, anti carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory.
Not forgetting the smile they put on your face :)
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