Benefit for Manahawkin Degenerated Discs from Pumpkin Leaves

Every year around this time, pumpkins are all over the place! We like them for décor, but they offer so much more! News of late focuses on the benefits of their leaves to slow disc degeneration and even possibly encourage regeneration. That’s news to your Manahawkin chiropractor’s ear…and surely to our Manahawkin 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 consideringa way to reduce the speed of the degenerative process and/or promote regeneration. The intervertebral disc is made up of an inner core (nucleus pulposus) made of proteoglycans and a layered outer rim (annulus fibrosus) rich in collagen. Together, 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 so as to help alleviate discogenic pain more effectively. (1) Your chiropractor reads about these mechanisms all the time!

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 rests on several factors, one is 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 Manahawkin pumpkins and their by-products to work for us!

PUMPKIN LEAVES AND COLLAGEN AND PROTEINS AND DISC CELLS

One 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 brought about a significant rise in extracellular matrix components like aggrecan and collagen type II in addition to other proteins and stress response regulators in the degenerated intervertebral disc cells removed from degenerated disc tissues of spinal surgery patients. Markers noting the presence and activity of stem cells were significantly higher as well. This news excited the researchers to declare that the hypothesis about how adequate stimuli can support resident cells to repopulate the degenerated discs was thus sustained. The report overall concluded that data indicate that 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) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center bets you will look at the pumpkin leaves differently this season!

CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates how nutrition may decelerate and possibly stop degeneration and promote regeneration via ingredients like chondroitin sulfate based on years of research done already and how nutrition in combination with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management reduce and manage spine pain. We’ll keep watching the pumpkin leaves’ research as it evolves!

Make your Manahawkin chiropractic appointment today to see us this pumpkin season!