Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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 scary, fun, goofy images for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is making light of the pumpkin’s quandry and admits to liking the pumpkin fun while also appreciating its tasty, healthy aspects for our La Grande chiropractic patients who are undergoing chiropractic care for back pain or neck pain and their supporting families.
RESPECT FOR THE HEALTHFUL PUMPKIN
Appreciation for the pumpkin keeps growing! 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 amazing 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 favorable functional properties recognized today are wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-ulcerative, spermatogenesis-enhancing, and more. (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 beautiful fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns enjoyed by young and old…including Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC and our La Grande chiropractic families!
AGE MATTERS
Age is significant in the lifespan of the pumpkin and the human! For the pumpkin, the mature stage of its ripening – versus the young and ripened stages – proved to have the highest phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the highest antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4) For the human, aging brings increasingly more molecular damage to cells in response to oxidative stress from environmental, lifestyle, and disease issues. A key to proper diet as we age is an appropriate intake of antioxidants. The cucurbita fruits (varieties 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 found a cornucopia of useful cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties related to preventing age-related diseases precipitated by oxidative stress. (6) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is all about protecting cells and the well-being of our La Grande chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the importance of containing inflammation as well as chiropractic spinal manipulation treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment today. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC respects the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still anticipate the annual carving, decorating, and cooking!
