Benefit for Oxford Degenerated Discs from Pumpkin Leaves

This time of year, pumpkins are everywhere! We enjoy them for décor, but they offer so much more! Recent news focuses on the benefits of their leaves to slow disc degeneration and even possibly encourage regeneration. That’s news to your Oxford chiropractor’s ear…and surely to our Oxford back pain and neck pain patients’ ears, too!

THE DISC – Healthy and Degenerated

Many back pain treatment approaches focus on relieving 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 work as a shock absorber and stabilizer for the spine. Treatment choices 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 a lot!

PUMPKIN LEAVES AND CAROTENOIDS

It's well-known that pumpkin products and by-products (like leaves!) have major carotenoids - β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin – with β-carotene being the main one in most pumpkin types. The total content of carotenoids depends on a variety of factors, one being the extraction process. Functional foods are developed from carotenoids which are said to add significantly to the many 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 about how the leaves of pumpkins may help. The acetone extract from Violina pumpkin (curcurbita moshata) leaves generated a significant increase 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 taken from degenerated disc tissues of spinal surgery patients. Markers noting the presence and activity of stem cells were significantly increased, 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 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 get rid of as waste – the leaves! (3) Satterwhite Chiropractic thinks you will look at the pumpkin leaves differently this season!

CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic

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 reduce and manage spine pain. We’ll keep watching the pumpkin leaves’ research as it evolves!

Make your Oxford chiropractic appointment now to visit us this pumpkin season!