Plant atlas Short
Thai Pumpkin Packs Lutein and Zeaxanthin
Thai Pumpkin · ฟักทอง · Cucurbita moschata
Thai Pumpkin — ฟักทอง (fak-thong) — Cucurbita moschata.
Thai pumpkin — fak-tong — a dense kabocha-style squash cooked and eaten skin and all, plus how to cook it and what its pigments do. The edible part is the fruit, and the same pigments that filter light inside your retina sit right inside it. Pumpkin supplies lutein and zeaxanthin, the blue-light-filtering pigments studied in retina research. For Thai pumpkin nutrition, the flesh is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Fug Tong Gang Buad is a comforting Thai dessert of tender pumpkin pieces simmered in sweet coconut milk and palm sugar, served warm as a sweet treat. Pud Fug Tong is a savory stir-fry of sliced pumpkin, garlic, and scrambled eggs in a light soy sauce, best enjoyed hot alongside steamed jasmine rice. The seeds are edible and roastable too, and they're a notable source of magnesium and zinc. Pumpkin's pigments are fat-soluble, so a little oil at the table helps your body absorb them far better. Give this sprawling ground vine plenty of yard space to ramble. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Fug Tong Gang Buad — ฟักทองแกงบวด (fak-tong-gaeng-buat)
Pud Fug Tong — ผัดฟักทอง (pad-fak-tong)
Source: Chew EY et al. / AREDS2 (2013). Lutein+zeaxanthin for AMD: RCT. JAMA 309(19):2005-2015. DOI:10.1001/jama.2013.4997
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium
Research context
Pumpkin supplies lutein & zeaxanthin, the blue-light-filtering pigments of the retina — JAMA (AREDS2), 2013