“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 images
for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Apple Country Chiropractic
is making light of the pumpkin’s quandry and admits
to enjoying the pumpkin fun while also valuing
its edible, healthy aspects for our
Williamson chiropractic patients who are being treated for back pain or neck pain and their supporting families.
RESPECT FOR THE HEALTHFUL PUMPKIN
Appreciation for the pumpkin grows
and grows! The commonly known 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 great
pumpkin pies! (1) Recognized for its being nutrient-full
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. Some of its most promising functional
properties recognized today are wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,
antioxidative, anti-ulcerative, spermatogenesis-enhancing, etc.
(2) The scent, flavor, and color attributes 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 pretty
fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns that young
and old alike enjoy…including Apple Country Chiropractic and our Williamson
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 – versus 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 brings more and more
molecular harm to cells in reaction to
oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease issues.
A key to proper diet as we age is an adequate
intake of antioxidants. The cucurbita fruits (types of pumpkin/squash)
are high in these antioxidants as well as in zinc and copper. Researchers
even suggested that these should be eaten daily! (5) Our aging cells would appreciate that! In
a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin,
researchers discovered a bunch of beneficial
cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties linked to preventing age-related diseases precipitated
by oxidative stress. (6) Apple Country Chiropractic is all about
protecting cells and the health of our Williamson
chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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 Williamson chiropractic
appointment today. Apple Country Chiropractic appreciates
the pumpkin for all its nutritional value. And we still look
forward to the annual cutting, decorating, and baking!