Announcing Steem Health Contest-2 | What is Your Favourite Vegetable and the Benefits? | Reward Pool 20 Steem @loice-jane

Hi good evening to you all

**fluted pumpkin leaves(ugwu leave) **

Source
My favorite vegetable is Fluted pumpkin ( ugwu) it is greenish in colors, it is planted in Nigeria and some other Africa country, it's popular in Nigeria.
Most Nigerian know fluted pumpkin as ugwu , and the fact that it's highly versatile plant but only few knows what it really does. It's health benefits.
The scientific name of fluted pumpkin is Telfaira Occidentals, it's a member of cucurbitaceae family and is indegenous to southern Nigeria.

why is it my favorite
It is my favorite because it has so many health benefits, it can be used to cook so many things, it can be eaten raw as salad or smoothly,it can be used to cook vegetable soup or garnish. When i was young,i was sick that my mum sent me to hospital, so the doctor told my mom to run test, after the test results was out, the doctor told my mom that I have malnutrition, that she should be giving me fluted pumpkin leave known as ugwu in my language, that it has so many nutrition in it, he told my mom that every food she prepare for me, she should add the Fluted pumpkin leave into it and sometimes she should blend it into smoothly and give me that i will see a result, so as i started eating it i because healthy again that i fall in love with the vegetable, because of its health benefits, it became my favorite vegetable.

What is the different between my favorite vegetable to other vegetables
the different is that it is a minimally- processed green leafy vegetable traditional used for antianaemic properties in form of leaf juice without a heating or inactivate before consumption. While some vegetables required cooking or stir fry it before consumption and does not have enough nutrition or supply blood like the way Fluted pumpkin does.

how often i eat my vegetable
I can't count because it is in all most everything i eat, i put it in my rice, beans, yam plantain, noodles, soups , etc that i cook and sometimes i take it has smoothly, you can take it regularly because it doesn't have any side effects.

What are the nutritional value

Nutrition. Value

Calories. 42
Total fat. 1.6g
Saturated fat. 0g
Fat trans. 0g
Cholesterol. 0mg
Sodium. 48mg
Potassium. 2500mg
Total carbohydrates. 7g
Protein. 3g
Vitamin A. 7%
Vitamin c. 240%
Vitamin K. 136%
Calcium. 3%
Iron. 78%

What are the health benefits

1. it is rich in protein and iron, thuse aids blood production, it prevents and treat anaemia. It is highly recommended to pregnant women and lactating mothers. It is administered as a blood tonic, to the weak or ill.
2. like any other vegetables fluted pumpkin contains a healthy amount of vegetable.
3. it lowers cholesterol
4. it boost ferterlitty.the plant seed are na excellent source of nutrients for the prostate, contain libido boosting, vitamins, essential sex drive minerals and high-level of zinc optimal testosterone production
5. the young leaves are used for the prevention and treatment of convulsion when slice and mix with salt and coconut water.
6. it helps to improve digestion and thereby reducing the chance of health conditions like irritable bowel movement and constipation and those cause by indigestion problem like ulcer and gastroparesis
7. they rich in alkaloids, resins, hydrocyanic acid,tannins and flavonoid that offer some immune system and anti inflammatory benefits, it prevents Cancer.
8. it serves as anti diabetes agent, which helps to reduce level of glucose in the blood.
9. it helps for weight loss because it contains a high dietary fiber which can help lower there appetite.
10. it can to improve the memory, it also contains vitamins and magnesium which helps in the improvement and normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. This can also help in cognitive reasoning, memory loss (dementia) and other health conditions that associate with brain health such as Alzheimer's disease.

What are your impression and suggestions to people.
My suggestion is that people should make the consumption of Fluted pumpkin as part of their daily basis meals because it has so many health benefits that can keep them fit and healthy.

Thanks for reading

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