The earth element dominates pumpkin, making it heavy, grounding and nutritive. Its mild sedative effect, supported by its magnesium and potassium content, helps reduce tension in the body and relax the muscles.
The demulcent qualities of cooked pumpkin coat the digestive tract and acts like a protective barrier to the mucus membranes. Pumpkin’s soothing effect is especially helpful for those with inflamed or irritated bowels.
For most people, pumpkin can help promote a regular bowel movement by both bulking and softening the stools.
Properties
Taste: Sweet
Natural Attributes: heavy, dry
Tissue impact (Vipak): sweet, nourishing
Thermal impact (Virya): neutral
Dosha impact: decreases Pitta and Kapha, slightly decreases Vata
Digestive impact (Agni): easy to digest
Channels (Srotas): opens
Feces: bulking and softening the stools
Urine:
Strength (Bala): bestows strength
Mind (Manas):Â Sattvic
Effect: Analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, adaptogen, Demulcent, alterative, livotonic
Chinese five element impact: Earth
Chinese medicine syndromes: Spleen Qi Deficiency
Medicinal properties
- Nourishment (rasa): conditions of deficiency, satisfying sweet-tooth, eyes, losing weight, diabetes
- Blood-circulation-liver:edema, regulate blood-sugar, hypoglycemia
- Muscles: Â relax muscles
- Nervous system: alleviates pain
- Vital essence: slow down the aging process, enhance longevity and regeneration of cells
- Mental: grounding, agitation,
- Skin: burns (fresh juice, topically), complexion, eczema
- Kidney-Bladder: bladder infection
- Respiratory system: asthma, bronchitis, cough, conditions of phlegm
- Digestive system: destroy worms (especially the seeds), soothing ulcers, acid reflux, irritated gut, hot, or burning digestive tract, constipation, regular bowel movement
Beneficial for: inflammation
Harmful: Vata induced constipation, flatulence.