Layden Chiropractic Shares Pumpkins Nutritional Benefits
“Respect the pumpkin! Respect the pumpkin!” Poor thing! The pumpkin wants to share its healthy gifts with us! What do we do? We cut the pumpkin into scary, funny, goofy images for Halloween and puree it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Layden Chiropractic is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and confesses to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating its edible, healthy aspects for our Plainville chiropractic patients who are being treated for back pain or neck pain and their supporting families.
RESPECT FOR THE NUTRITIOUS PUMPKIN
Respect for the pumpkin keeps growing! The well recognized pumpkin or squash of the cucurbita moschata species of fruits is hot tolerant and resistant to insects and disease…as well as the essential ingredient for great pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-dense and recipe-flexible, the pumpkin is described as a potent source of proteins, metabolites, carbohydrates, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, carotenoids, tryptophans, sterols, and more. Some of its most favorable functional properties recognized today are wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-ulcerative, spermatogenesis-enhancing, and more. (2) The scent, flavor, and color traits of the pumpkin - terpenoids (oxygen-containing metabolites that contribute to aromatic scent and flavor and even color) and carotenoids (tetraterpenoids responsible for color) - are quite healthful. (3) All this in the beautiful fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns enjoyed by young and old…including Layden Chiropractic and our Plainville chiropractic families!
AGE MATTERS
Age is significant in the lifespan of the pumpkin and the human! For the pumpkin, the mature stage of its ripening – versus the young and ripened stages – had the greatest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging brings increasingly more molecular harm to cells in response to oxidative stress from environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors. The proper intake of antioxidants is key as we age. The cucurbita fruits (varieties of pumpkin/squash) are great in these antioxidants as well as in zinc and copper. Researchers even suggested that these should be eaten every day! (5) Our aging cells would appreciate that! In a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin, researchers found a cornucopia of useful cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties linked to the prevention of age-related diseases brought on by oxidative stress. (6) Layden Chiropractic is in favor of protecting cells and the health of our Plainville chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Layden Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the importance of controlling inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Plainville chiropractic appointment today. Layden Chiropractic appreciates the pumpkin for all its nutritional value. And we still look forward to the annual carving, decorating, and cooking!
