This time of year, pumpkins
are everywhere! We enjoy them for décor, but
they offer so much more! News of late highlights
the benefits of their leaves to reduce the speed of disc degeneration
and even possibly support regeneration. That is news
to your Sitka chiropractor’s ear…and surely to
our Sitka back pain and neck pain patients’ ears, too!
THE DISC – Healthy and Degenerated
Most treatments of
back pain focus on easing the pain and returning function
without a thought about how
to reduce the speed of the degenerative process and/or encourage
regeneration. The intervertebral disc has an inner core
(nucleus pulposus) made of proteoglycans and a layered outer rim (annulus
fibrosus) rich in collagen. Combined, these two work
as a shock absorber and stabilizer for the spine. Treatment options
for the degenerated disc come from understanding the
processes that precede degeneration in order to
help ease discogenic pain more effectively. (1) Your
chiropractor reads about these mechanisms a lot!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND CAROTENOIDS
It's recognized that pumpkin products and
by-products (like leaves!) contain major carotenoids - β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin – with β-carotene
being the main one in most pumpkin varieties. The
total content of carotenoids depends on several
factors, one being the extraction procedure. Functional
foods are developed from carotenoids which are said to add
significantly to the numerous health benefits of the foods.
(2) Nutrition can plan a role in disc health. Let’s put our Sitka pumpkins and their by-products to work
for us!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND COLLAGEN AND PROTEINS AND DISC CELLS
A unique way to put pumpkins to work for us is
well explained in a recent study regarding how
the leaves of pumpkins may help. The acetone extract from Violina pumpkin
(curcurbita moshata) leaves induced a significant
rise in extracellular matrix components like aggrecan and collagen
type II as well as other proteins and stress
response regulators in the degenerated intervertebral disc cells removed
from degenerated disc tissues of spinal surgery patients. Markers indicating
the presence and activity of stem cells were significantly increased as well. This news motivated the researchers to state
that the hypothesis about how enough stimuli can support
resident cells to repopulate the degenerated discs was thus sustained.
The report overall concluded that data point
to the discovery of molecules that may
effectively reduce disc degeneration using a part of the pumpkin
that most of us throw away as waste – the
leaves! (3) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka thinks you’ll look at the
pumpkin leaves differently this season!
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes how nutrition may decelerate and possibly
avert degeneration and stimulate regeneration via ingredients
like chondroitin sulfate based on years of research done
already and how nutrition combined with The Cox®
Technic System of Spinal Pain Management reduce and control
spine pain. We’ll keep watching the pumpkin leaves’ research as it grows!
Make your Sitka chiropractic appointment
soon to see us this pumpkin season!
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."