Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic Shares Pumpkins Nutritional Benefits
“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 spooky, funny, goofy images for Halloween and puree it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic is playing with the pumpkin’s plight and admits to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating its edible, healthy features for our Augusta chiropractic patients who are undergoing chiropractic care for back pain or neck pain and their supportive families.
RESPECT FOR THE NUTRITIOUS PUMPKIN
Appreciation for the pumpkin grows and grows! The well recognized pumpkin or squash of the cucurbita moschata species of fruits is hot tolerant and resistant to insects and disease…as well as the most common ingredient for amazing pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-dense 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, 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 enjoyed by young and old…including Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic and our Augusta 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 – exhibited the greatest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging generates more and more molecular damage to cells in reaction to oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors. The suitable intake of antioxidants is important 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 daily! (5) Our aging cells would be grateful! In a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin, researchers found a cornucopia of useful cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties linked to preventing age-related diseases triggered by oxidative stress. (6) Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic is in favor of protecting cells and the well-being of our Augusta chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the importance of managing inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Augusta chiropractic appointment today. Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still look forward to the annual cutting, decorating, and baking!
