“Respect the pumpkin! Respect the pumpkin!” Pitiful
thing! The pumpkin wants to share its healthy gifts with us! What do we do? We cut the pumpkin into scary, fun, goofy images
for Halloween and mash it up for a Thanksgiving pie! Novelli Wellness Center
is making light of the pumpkin’s plight and confesses
to enjoying the pumpkin fun while also appreciating
its edible, healthy aspects for our
Orchard Park, NY 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 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 great
pumpkin pies! (1) Well-known for being nutrient-full
and recipe-flexible, the pumpkin is said to be 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 qualities 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 healthful. (3) All this in the pretty
fall fruit we cut into jack-o-lanterns enjoyed by young and old…including Novelli Wellness Center and our Orchard Park, NY
chiropractic families!
AGE MATTERS
Age counts in the lifespan
of the pumpkin and the human! For the
pumpkin, the mature stage of its ripening – as opposed to the
young and ripened stages – proved to have the greatest
phenolic and flavonoid content (33 compounds!), the greatest
antioxidant activity, and the highest antibacterial activity. (4)
For the human, aging brings more and more
molecular harm to cells in response to
oxidative stress due to environmental, lifestyle, and disease factors.
The proper 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 suggested that these should be eaten every
day! (5) Our aging cells would be grateful! In
a study of extracted seed oils like pumpkin, melon, and black cumin,
researchers discovered a bunch of useful
cytoprotective – cell-protecting - properties related to preventing age-related diseases precipitated
by oxidative stress. (6) Novelli Wellness Center is in favor of
protecting cells and the health of our Orchard Park, NY
chiropractic patients.
CONTACT Novelli Wellness Center
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 Orchard Park, NY chiropractic
appointment now. Novelli Wellness Center respects
the pumpkin for all its nutritional benefit. And we still anticipate the annual cutting, decorating, and baking!