Vancouver Disc Centers Shares Pumpkins Nutritional Benefits

October 06, 2022

“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, goofy looks for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Vancouver Disc Centers is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and confesses to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating 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

Appreciation 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 essential ingredient for amazing pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-dense and recipe-flexible, the pumpkin is said to be 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 qualities 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 counts in the pumpkin's and the human's lifespan! For the pumpkin, the mature stage of its ripening – as opposed to the young and ripened stages – proved to have the greatest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the greatest antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging brings increasingly more molecular damage to cells in reaction to oxidative stress from environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors. The proper intake of antioxidants is important as we age. The cucurbita fruits (varieties of pumpkin/squash) are high in these antioxidants as well as in zinc and copper. Researchers even suggested that these should be eaten daily! (5) Our aging cells would be grateful! In a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin, researchers discovered a cornucopia of useful cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties related to the prevention of age-related diseases precipitated by oxidative stress. (6) Vancouver Disc Centers is in favor of protecting cells and the well-being of our Vancouver chiropractic clients.

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.

Make your Vancouver chiropractic appointment today. Vancouver Disc Centers appreciates the pumpkin for all its nutritional value. And we still look forward to the annual cutting, decorating, and baking!

Vancouver Disc Centers respects the pumpkin for its decorative and nutritional benefits especially the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant!