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The Healthy Ashburn and Herndon Pumpkin: Decorative and Nutritious

October 03, 2023

The pumpkin. Pretty. Recognizable. Valued from its being anti-anxiety to anti-viral and so much more! Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn shares just how nutritious and beneficial the Cucurbita maxima, the formal name of the pumpkin, is, a vegetable whose flesh, seed, peel, flower, and leaves all deliver nutrients our Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic patients can take make good use of. Extraordinary levels of minerals, flavonoids, carotenes, phenols, and total antioxidant activity are plentiful in the leaves and flowers while the seed is packed 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 Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic patients want to think twice about 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-known for its ornamental value as well as economic value and as a generator of wasted resources when its time is up. Its abundance 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 analyzed to be safe and to offer significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties nearly similar to aspirin and brufen/ibuprofen. (3) In the family of winter squash, the pumpkin’s Cucurbita maxima - with its polysaccharide substance plus its overall phenolic and flavonoid content - has more antidiabetic and antioxidant activities than its related Cucurbita moshata. (4) Another study revealed 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 possibly effective 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 a global problem? 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 stopping or reducing childhood blindness. The pumpkin made 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 advantageous contributors. (8) All these are healthy contributors.

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

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

Make your Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic appointment soon. No matter the back pain condition, that brought you to our office, enjoy your pretty pumpkin and find a way to repurpose it for your health value!

Ashburn and Herndon chiropractic nutrition info on the pumpkin
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