“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 scary, fun, goofy images
for Halloween and puree it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and admits
to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating
its edible, healthy aspects for our
Groton chiropractic patients who are undergoing chiropractic care 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 essential ingredient for amazing
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 favorable functional
properties known 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 pretty
fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns enjoyed by young and old…including Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office and our Groton
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 – versus the
young and ripened stages – had the highest
phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest
antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4)
For the human, aging brings more and more
molecular injury to cells in reaction to
oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease issues.
The right intake of antioxidants is key
as we age. 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 be grateful! 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 triggered
by oxidative stress. (6) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is all about
protecting cells and the health of our Groton
chiropractic clients.
CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates the importance of managing
inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of
Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Groton chiropractic
appointment now. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office appreciates
the pumpkin for all its nutritional value. And we still look
forward to the annual carving, decorating, and baking!