5 surprising beauty & skin benefits from pumpkin

Fall is synonymous to pumpkin season and now that the fruit (no, it's not a vegetable; it's actually a berry!) is in abundance, it isn't a bad idea to include them in your meals, especially with its health and beauty benefits. The following are nutrients that you can get from pumpkins that allow for better health.

1. It contains omega 6. Lorna Driver-Davies, nutritionist at NutriCentre told Daily Mail, "Pumpkin seed oil is high in the polyunsaturated fatty acid (a longer chain fatty acid) omega 6, which is beneficial for the skin and hormone support in women. I also recommend pumpkin seed oil to men due to the zinc content."

2. It contains fiber. According to Daily Burn, pumpkin seeds have 1.7 grams of dietary fiber per ounce, while mashed pumpkin has 3 grams of fiber. Nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin, who is also the author of The Virgin Diet, told Daily Burn, "Fiber helps keep you fuller longer, which keeps your appetite at bay so you eat less overall."

Additionally, Forbes reports that according to Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S., nutrition expert and author of "Fat Flush for Life," certain fibers can help move yeast and fungus through your system rather than through your skin, where they may cause breakouts and skin rashes.

3. It contains Vitamin A. The Huffington Post reports that pumpkins are rich in carotenoids, compounds that contribute to the pumpkin's bright orange color, and beta-carotene, which when consumed, becomes vitamin A. This vitamin is not only great for your eyes, but is also good for maintaining healthy skin, teeth, and bones. Carotenoids also neutralize free-radicals that help keep cancer cells at bay. Additionally, pumpkin seeds contain plant sterols that have been linked to fighting certain cancers.

4. It contains essential fatty acids. New York dermatologist, Patricia Wexler, M.D. told Women's Health, "Pumpkin contains enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids that increase cell turnover, brighten and smooth skin, and are great exfoliators."

She added, "The essential fatty acids and vitamins A, C, and E help increase the moisture of hair and maintain cell turnover of the scalp while healing inflammation." Vitamins A and C are also responsible for preventing free-radical damage and helps produce collagen for younger-looking skin.

5. It contains potassium. According to Black Hair Media, pumpkins, like bananas and avocados, are also a great source of potassium, which helps in the healthy regrowth of hair.