The Healthy Toronto Pumpkin: Decorative and Nutritious

October 03, 2023

The pumpkin. Ornate. Recognizable. Valuable from its being anti-anxiety to anti-viral and so much more! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre presents just how nutritious and useful the Cucurbita maxima, pumpkin’s formal Latin name, is, a vegetable whose flesh, seed, peel, flower, and leaves all provide nutrients our Toronto chiropractic patients can take advantage of. High levels of minerals, flavonoids, carotenes, phenols, and total antioxidant activity are profuse in the leaves and flowers while the seed is loaded with nutrients and amino acids. All sections of the pumpkin offer powerful nutrients! (1) Nutrition info like this is a part of the chiropractic service we deliver. This fall, maybe you will want to think twice about tossing your pumpkin in the trash!

DECORATIVE, DERMATOLOGICAL, AND MUCH MORE: anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiolic, non-irritating, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiviral

The Cucurbita maxima is well-known for its ornamental value as well as economic value and as a generator of wasted resources when its time is up. Its abundance of bioactive compounds (flavonoids and coumarins) as well as antioxidant and pharmacological value that are just starting to be appreciated. (2) Pumpkin seed extracts were analyzed to be safe and to extend significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties nearly comparable with aspirin and brufen/ibuprofen. (3) In the lineage of winter squash, the pumpkin’s Cucurbita maxima - with its polysaccharide substance plus its total phenolic and flavonoid content - has more antidiabetic and antioxidant activities than its related Cucurbita moshata. (4) Another study revealed that the nutrition of the pumpkin combats several viral infections (like HCV, HIV, ADV7, etc.) with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. (5) The peel has the highest number of flavonoids. Peel extracts are not cytotoxic or irritating to the skin, making them potentially effective for cosmetic product use. (6) The pumpkin’s value runs more than skin deep.

PREVENTIVE OF NIGHT BLINDNESS IN CHILDREN AND EVEN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

What about facilitating the prevention of childhood night blindness reported to be a global problem? Fortifying yogurt with β-carotene (vitamin A) via pumpkin (and pumpkin pie spice and ground pumpkin seed) was showen to be a nutrient-rich food with the low-cost advantage of potentially preventing or decreasing childhood blindness. The pumpkin made it even more appetizing! (7) The pumpkin seed that they ground up for the yogurt may also reduce the intensity of the central nervous system related anxiety and depression. C. maxima’s secondary metabolites like arginine, β-carotene, quercetin, and other antioxidants may be the advantageous sources. (8) All these are beneficial for health.

CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Robert Borzone on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to help a patient get back to healthy organic gardening.

Make your Toronto chiropractic appointment now. No matter the back pain condition, that brought you to our office, enjoy your decorative pumpkin and find a way to repurpose it for your health benefit!

Toronto chiropractic nutrition info on the pumpkin

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