Aurora Chiropractic Center 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, fun, silly looks for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Aurora Chiropractic Center is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and confesses to enjoying the pumpkin fun while also valuing its edible, healthy features for our Juneau chiropractic patients who are being treated for back pain or neck pain and their supporting families.
RESPECT FOR THE HEALTHFUL PUMPKIN
Appreciation for the pumpkin grows and grows! 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 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 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 Aurora Chiropractic Center and our Juneau chiropractic families!
AGE MATTERS
Age counts in the lifespan of the pumpkin and the human! 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 generates more and more molecular harm to cells in reaction to oxidative stress from environmental, lifestyle, and disease issues. 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 proposed that these should be consumed daily! (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 the prevention of age-related diseases triggered by oxidative stress. (6) Aurora Chiropractic Center is in favor of protecting cells and the health of our Juneau chiropractic clients.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the importance of containing inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Juneau chiropractic appointment now. Aurora Chiropractic Center respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still anticipate the annual cutting, decorating, and cooking!
