Hollstrom & Associates Inc 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! Hollstrom & Associates Inc is playing with the pumpkin’s quandry and confesses to enjoying the pumpkin fun while also appreciating its tasty, healthy features for our Largo chiropractic patients who are being treated for back pain or neck pain and their supportive families.
RESPECT FOR THE NUTRITIOUS PUMPKIN
Respect 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 most common ingredient for tasty pumpkin pies! (1) Well-known for 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 nutritious. (3) All this in the beautiful fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns that young and old alike appreciate…including Hollstrom & Associates Inc and our Largo 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 – as opposed to the young and ripened stages – had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest antioxidant activity, and the greatest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging generates more and more molecular injury to cells in response to oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors. A key to proper diet as we age is an appropriate intake of antioxidants. The cucurbita fruits (varieties of pumpkin/squash) are high in these antioxidants as well as in zinc and copper. Researchers even proposed 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 linked to preventing age-related diseases precipitated by oxidative stress. (6) Hollstrom & Associates Inc is in favor of protecting cells and the well-being of our Largo chiropractic clients.
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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 Largo chiropractic appointment soon. Hollstrom & Associates Inc respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still look forward to the annual cutting, decorating, and baking!
