Pumpkin

References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name Pumpkin comes from the Greek word for “big melon”, which is “pepon”. The word “Pepon” was in French “ponpon”. And in English the “ponpon” became “Pumpion”. Shakespeare refers to the “pump” in his play “The Merry Wives of Windsor”. The American colonists changed the pump to a “pumpkin.” The “pumpkin” refers to various myths and traditions. The most famous of these fairy tales in Greece is “Cinderella”. All types of cucumber – in general – originate in America. It is reported that the various varieties of pumpkin come from northern Mexico and that 8-10000 years ago the pumpkin was used by the Andean natives. Native Americans dried out off the pumpkin strips and knitted carpets.
They also baked and ate long strips of pumpkin in the fire. The origin of the pumpkin pie comes from the colonists of America. They cut parts of the pumpkin from the top, remove the seeds, and fill the interior with spice milk and honey. They then cooked the stuffed pumpkin in hot ash. Some of the varieties of pumpkin have come to Europe in the 15th or 16th century. It is speculated that these varieties were known to Europeans by Asian growers. As a custom in the US they build characteristic lanterns on the eve of All Saints on October 31 (Halloween).

A recent study, published in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention study, examined dietary habits and the lifestyle of 60,000 adults in China, and found that those who ate rich beta-carotene foods had a lower risk of lung cancer. When smokers were evaluated, it was found that the group eating foods rich in beta-carotene had a 37% lower risk of lung cancer than smokers who did not eat such foods.
The plant fibers contained in the yellow pumpkin help to eliminate part of the cholesterol from the body, but also to treat chronic constipation, increasing bowel movement. Pumpkin consumption is particularly beneficial for those suffering from gastric problems because it reduces the acidity of stomach fluids.