Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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 images for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and confesses to enjoying the pumpkin fun while also valuing its edible, healthy features for our Toronto 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 well recognized pumpkin or squash of the cucurbita moschata species of fruits is insect-, disease-, and hot-tolerant…as well as the most common ingredient for great pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-full 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. A few 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 nutritious. (3) All this in the pretty fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns enjoyed by young and old…including Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre and our Toronto 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 – as opposed to the young and ripened stages – had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the greatest antioxidant activity, and the greatest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging brings more and 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 suggested that these should be eaten 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 brought on by oxidative stress. (6) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is in favor of protecting cells and the health of our Toronto chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the importance of controlling inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Toronto chiropractic appointment today. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still anticipate the annual carving, decorating, and cooking!
