Benefit for Baton Rouge Degenerated Discs from Pumpkin Leaves
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 Baton Rouge chiropractor’s ear…and surely to our Baton Rouge back pain and neck pain patients’ ears, too!
THE DISC – Healthy and Degenerated
Many back pain treatment approaches 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 act as a shock absorber and stabilizer for the spine. Treatment options for the degenerated disc come from being aware of the processes that lead to degeneration in order to help alleviate discogenic pain more effectively. (1) Your chiropractor studies these mechanisms all the time!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND CAROTENOIDS
It's recognized that pumpkin products and by-products (like leaves!) have major carotenoids - β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin – with β-carotene being the foremost one in most pumpkin types. The total content of carotenoids depends on a variety of factors, one is the extraction procedure. Functional foods are developed from carotenoids which are said to add significantly to the multiple health benefits of the foods. (2) Nutrition can plan a role in disc health. Pumpkin and its by-products should not just be thrown away!
PUMPKIN LEAVES AND COLLAGEN AND PROTEINS AND DISC CELLS
A unique way to put pumpkins to work for us is described in a recent study regarding how the leaves of pumpkins may help. The acetone extract from Violina pumpkin (curcurbita moshata) leaves provoked a significant increase in extracellular matrix components like aggrecan and collagen type II along with 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 higher, too. This news excited the researchers to state that the hypothesis about how adequate stimuli can support resident cells to repopulate the degenerated discs was thereby reinforced. The report overall concluded that data point to the breakthrough that molecules may effectively slow disc degeneration using a part of the pumpkin that most of us throw away as waste – the leaves! (3) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers bets you’ll look at the pumpkin leaves differently this season!
CONTACT Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates how nutrition may slow and possibly stop degeneration and stimulate regeneration via ingredients like chondroitin sulfate based on years of research performed already and how nutrition combined with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management decrease and control spine pain. We’ll keep watching the pumpkin leaves’ research as it grows!
Make your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment soon to see us this pumpkin season!
