Often relegated to sugary pies and Halloween jack-o'-lanterns, pumpkins should be in regular rotation as antioxidant powerhouses.

Just 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (which is almost as nutritious as fresh pumpkin) contains between 160 and 260 percent of the RDA for beta-carotene, that's twice as much as you'd get from the same amount of spinach.

Pumpkins are a good source of other potent antioxidant carotenes, including zeaxanthin and lutein.
Because these two compounds are also in the lenses of the eye, researchers believe that eating them may help prevent cataracts.

Pumpkin is a good source of fiber and iron (pumpkin seeds are an even better source.)

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.

The best way to get the daily requirement of 13 essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods and take a "Standardized" (quality) multivitamin supplement.