Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. Shares Pumpkins Nutritional Benefits
“Respect the pumpkin! Respect the pumpkin!” Pitiful thing! The pumpkin wants to share its healthy gifts with us! What do we do? We carve it into spooky, funny, goofy looks for Halloween and puree it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. is making light of the pumpkin’s quandry and confesses to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating its tasty, healthy aspects for our Auburn chiropractic patients who are undergoing chiropractic care for back pain or neck pain and their supporting families.
RESPECT FOR THE HEALTHFUL PUMPKIN
Appreciation for the pumpkin grows and grows! The well recognized pumpkin or squash of the cucurbita moschata species of fruits is insect-, disease-, and hot-tolerant…as well as the essential ingredient for tasty pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-full 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. A few of its most promising 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 Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. and our Auburn chiropractic families!
AGE MATTERS
Age is of importance 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 greatest antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging generates more and more molecular damage to cells in response to oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease issues. A key to proper diet as we age is an adequate intake of antioxidants. The cucurbita fruits (types of pumpkin/squash) are great 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 be grateful! In a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin, researchers found a bunch of beneficial cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties related to preventing age-related diseases brought on by oxidative stress. (6) Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. is in favor of protecting cells and the health of our Auburn chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the importance of containing inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Auburn chiropractic appointment now. Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. appreciates the pumpkin for all its nutritional value. And we still look forward to the annual cutting, decorating, and cooking!
