The Healthy West Des Moines Pumpkin: Decorative and Nutritious

October 03, 2023

The pumpkin. Pretty. Recognizable. Valuable from its being anti-anxiety to anti-viral and a lot in between! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa shares just how nutritious and useful the Cucurbita maxima, the formal name of the pumpkin, is, a vegetable whose flesh, seed, peel, flower, and leaves all offer nutrients our West Des Moines chiropractic patients can take make good use 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 our West Des Moines chiropractic patients want to reconsider 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-recognized for its ornamental value as well as economic value and as a generator of wasted resources when its time is up. It has plenty 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 found to be safe and to extend significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties nearly similar to aspirin and brufen/ibuprofen. (3) In the lineage of winter squash, the pumpkin’s Cucurbita maxima - with its polysaccharide substance as well as its overall phenolic and flavonoid content - has more antidiabetic and antioxidant activities than its related Cucurbita moshata. (4) Another study found that the nutrition of the pumpkin fights several viral infections (like HCV, HIV, ADV7, etc.) with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. (5) The peel has the greatest number of flavonoids. Peel extracts are not cytotoxic or irritating to the skin, making them potentially valuable 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 helping prevent childhood night blindness said to be an issue around the world? Fortifying yogurt with β-carotene (vitamin A) via pumpkin (and pumpkin pie spice and ground pumpkin seed) was proven to be a nutrient-rich food with the low-cost advantage of potentially preventing or reducing childhood blindness. The pumpkin rendered 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 helpful sources. (8) All these are healthy contributors.

CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa

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

Make your West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today. No matter the back pain condition, that brought you to our office, enjoy your decorative pumpkin and find a way to use it for your health benefit!

West Des Moines chiropractic nutrition info on the pumpkin

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