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Vancouver Disc Centers 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 spooky, fun, silly looks for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Vancouver Disc Centers is playing with the pumpkin’s quandry and admits to liking the pumpkin fun while also valuing its edible, healthy features for our Vancouver 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 commonly known pumpkin or squash of the cucurbita moschata species of fruits is insect-, disease-, and hot-tolerant…as well as the most common ingredient for amazing 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 promising functional properties recognized today are wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-ulcerative, spermatogenesis-enhancing, etc. (2) The scent, flavor, and color attributes 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 Vancouver Disc Centers and our Vancouver chiropractic families!

AGE MATTERS

Age is significant in the pumpkin's and the human's lifespan! For the pumpkin, the mature stage of its ripening – versus the young and ripened stages – exhibited the greatest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest antioxidant activity, and the greatest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging brings increasingly more molecular damage to cells in response to oxidative stress from environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors. A key to proper diet as we age is an adequate intake of antioxidants. The cucurbita fruits (varieties of pumpkin/squash) are high in these antioxidants as well as in zinc and copper. Researchers even proposed that these should be consumed 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 treasure trove of useful cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties related to preventing age-related diseases triggered by oxidative stress. (6) Vancouver Disc Centers is in favor of protecting cells and the well-being of our Vancouver chiropractic patients.

CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the importance of managing inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Vancouver chiropractic appointment soon. Vancouver Disc Centers respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still anticipate the annual cutting, decorating, and cooking!

Vancouver Disc Centers respects the pumpkin for its decorative and nutritional benefits especially the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant!
 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."