The Benefits to Fall’s Favorite Spice
Pumpkin spice is the star of the show right now. From pumpkin spiced lattes, to pumpkin breads, and even mixed into savory foods like pumpkin spice soup and casseroles. During the season of fall, there is pumpkin spiced flavored everything.
Maybe you are wondering if consuming a higher daily value of pumpkin spice offers up any benefit outside of our taste buds.
Let’s take a look. Pumpkin in its natural form, whether it’s smashed or puréed, is a rather healthy vegetable. It has been used in many recipes for many years, but it also provides a wide variety of nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin a, and vitamin c, which are great nutrients for your vision and overall health.
What do these vitamins mean for eye health?
- Lutein – Lutein is a powerful antioxidant that exists inside the body and helps to protect and maintain healthy cells within the eye. Lutein is extremely important in maintaining macular and retinal health, as this carotenoid is found to be highly concentrated in the macula.
- Zeaxanthin – Although naturally occurring in the body, the body is not able to reproduce Zeaxanthin. It is an important carotenoid that helps to maintain macular and retinal health, protecting the eye from damaging UV light.
- Vitamin A – Vitamin A plays an important role in eye health. It helps to support macular health and protect against vision loss. It also helps to support the cornea, which is the protective outer layer of the eye. Vitamin A can help with occasional dry eye.
- Vitamin C – A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C helps the eye shield itself from free radicals in the eye’s normal aging process. Vitamin C, a water-soluble nutrient, aids the body in forming and maintaining connective tissue, including collagen found in the cornea of the eye. Vitamin C is also required by nerve cells in the eye to function properly.
Pumpkin is an excellent source of nutrition for healthy eyes and skin. And how about these spices? Cinnamon helps regulate healthy blood sugar levels, ginger aids in healthy digestion, clove has been said to support a healthy immune system, and allspice may help boost circulation and nutmeg has anti-inflammatory properties.
