In the North and Northeast of the country, pumpkin is a vegetable that is very present in the population’s diet. It also goes into the preparation of some sophisticated dishes, responsible for whetting your appetite. But, the species also has its medicinal side, being indicated for the expulsion of worms and intestinal parasites.

Native to Central America, pumpkin is a creeping plant, with compound tendrils and alternate leaves, webbed and membranous.

Its flowers draw attention for their vibrant yellow color, while the fruits are shaped like a pumpkin with orange pulp, widely consumed by humans in food, whether cooked in pieces or pureed, with dried meat, shrimp and soups or in the preparation of sweets and jams.

The plant belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Depending on where it is found, the jerimum can be known by many other names. Among the most used are: zucchini, zucchini, yellow squash, guinea squash, lamb squash, pumpkin squash, pork squash, pig pumpkin, Lenten squash, calabash and girimum.

Medicinal properties of pumpkin

In addition to being consumed on a large scale in food, pumpkin has many other uses, especially in natural medicine. It fights cases of erysipelas, fever and inflammation in the kidneys, via urine, liver, spleen, prostate, ear, skin and also generalized inflammation.

It can also be used to treat burns, worms, earache, anemia, avitaminosis, nausea, vomiting from pregnancy, wound of syphilitic origin. Jerimum has properties that are related to aesthetics, treating oilily skin, acne, smoothing and softening the skin and cleaning the skin.

As if that wasn’t enough, pumpkin is a great preventative for high blood pressure, as it has few fats and sodium and a large amount of potassium in its composition. It also eliminates stomach acid, benefiting gastritis, stomach ulcers, heartburn or dyspepsia.

pumpkin tea

In addition to consuming the pulp, one of the ways used to treat many of the diseases mentioned above is through the preparation of tea. To do this, just separate 200 ml of filtered water and 10 grams of fresh plant leaves. Bring the water to a boil, turning off the heat in sequence. Add the leaves and let it rest for 10 minutes.

After this time, the drink is ready to be drunk. The recommendation is not to exceed three cups a day. But, before including the treatment in your daily life, it is recommended that the doctor be consulted.