Benefit for Groton Degenerated Discs from Pumpkin Leaves
Every year around this time, pumpkins are all over the place! We like them for décor, but they offer so much more! Recent news focuses on the benefits of their leaves to slow disc degeneration and even possibly support regeneration. That’s news to your Groton chiropractor’s ear…and without doubt to our Groton back pain and neck pain patients’ ears, too!
THE DISC – Healthy and Degenerated
Many back pain treatment approaches focus on relieving the pain and returning function without consideringa way to reduce the speed of the degenerative process and/or encourage regeneration. The intervertebral disc has an inner core (nucleus pulposus) made of proteoglycans and a layered outer rim (annulus fibrosus) rich in collagen. Together, these two act as a shock absorber and stabilizer for the spine. Treatment choices for the degenerated disc come from being aware of the processes that lead to degeneration so as to help alleviate discogenic pain more effectively. (1) Your chiropractor probes these mechanisms all the time!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND CAROTENOIDS
It's recognized that pumpkin products and by-products (like leaves!) have major carotenoids - β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin – with β-carotene being the main one in most pumpkin types. The total content of carotenoids depends on a variety of factors, one is the extraction process. Functional foods are advanced from carotenoids which are said to add significantly to the numerous health benefits of the foods. (2) Nutrition can plan a role in disc health. Pumpkin and its by-products shouldn’t just be thrown away!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND COLLAGEN AND PROTEINS AND DISC CELLS
A unique way to put pumpkins to work for us is well explained in a recent study regarding how the leaves of pumpkins may help. The acetone extract from Violina pumpkin (curcurbita moshata) leaves brought about a significant increase in extracellular matrix components like aggrecan and collagen type II along with other proteins and stress response regulators in the degenerated intervertebral disc cells removed from degenerated disc tissues of spinal surgery patients. Markers indicating the presence and activity of stem cells were significantly higher as well. This news excited the researchers to declare that the hypothesis about how adequate stimuli can support resident cells to repopulate the degenerated discs was thus reinforced. The report overall determined that data indicate that the breakthrough that molecules may effectively slow disc degeneration using a part of the pumpkin that most of us throw in the trash as waste – the leaves! (3) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office thinks you will look at the pumpkin leaves differently this season!
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 how nutrition may decelerate and possibly stop degeneration and stimulate regeneration via ingredients like chondroitin sulfate based on years of research done already and how nutrition combined with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management decrease and control spine pain. We’ll keep watching the pumpkin leaves’ research as it grows!
Schedule your Groton chiropractic appointment now to see us this pumpkin season!
