This article was written by Take The Magic Step™ nutritional staff writer Janett Walter, who has a degree in nutritional science from the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, Germany.

In houses all over the country, small and big kids are carving scary faces into pumpkins. With Halloween just ahead of us, lighted pumpkin faces will gleam from house entrances and windows, starting out at the little monsters, pirates, princesses, witches and ghosts going house to house, knocking on our doors and threatening us with a trick if they don’t get the desired treats.

But pumpkins and other winter squash are good for more than decoration. Rich in potassium and vitamins A and C, they have several health-enhancing benefits. Even the seeds, which usually get tossed aside during carving parties, are nutritional wonders. To paraphrase an old saying, at Halloween, you can carve your pumpkin and eat it, too!

Historical Background of Halloween

Halloween’s⁽¹⁾ history reaches back over 2,000 years. All Hallows Eve, as it is also known, originated in Celtic traditions (tribes of Northern France, Great Britain and Ireland) to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of the New Year. This day is also known as Samhain. It is the evening of All Saints’ Day (November 1), a Roman Catholic and Anglican Church holy day.

People believed that on that night the frontiers between the living and the dead became indistinct, and the ghosts of the deceased came back to the world.

During the same time of year the Romans⁽¹⁾ celebrated Pomona, the goddess of the orchards, and Feralia, the celebration of the deceased. When the Romans came to Great Britain, it has been suggested that the traditions of Samhain,Pomona and Feralia merged and formed an early type of what we now know as Halloween.

Pumpkins, a Halloween tradition, with carved-in scary or funny faces, also known as Jack-o’-lanterns, go back to the legend of an Irish man named Jack⁽²⁾. He tricked the Devil and made him promise not to claim him after his death. Because of his actions, God did not let him go to Heaven either after his passing. Unable to enter either Heaven or Hell, he was given a burning coal by the Devil to light his way as he had to go into the dark night. Jack placed the burning coal into a carved turnip, and this gives him light as he walks through eternity. For reasons of convenience, the turnip was later replaced by a pumpkin by Irish settlers.

Nutritional Facts

Winter squash varieties have great nutritional potential! They belong to the plant family Cucurbitaceae. Squashes used for carving, pies, muffins, breads, bagels, stews, cookies and other dishes mainly belong to three plant species:Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata. The following table provides you an overview of a few of their common varieties.

Population studies⁽³⁾ have shown that diets rich in winter squash (Cucurbita moschata varieties) may lower blood glucose levels. Responsible for this effect is a compound group called polysaccharides. They elevate insulin levels; therefore, blood glucose levels may be lowered. In addition, squash polysaccharides can be cell-protective and antioxidative.

Are you looking for a snack? Give dried winter squash seeds, which have a great nutty taste, a try.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses the seeds of winter squashes⁽⁴⁾, specificallyCucurbita moschata varieties, to treat different kinds of worm infections (tapeworms, roundworms and flatworms). Also, pharmaceutical studies have revealed liver-cell-protective and antitumor properties. Specifically, diets including these winter squash seeds were associated with a lowered occurrence of gastric, breast, lung and colorectal cancer.

Possible health benefits of winter squash seeds⁽⁵⁾, specifically from Cucurbita maxima varieties, may be the prevention of prostate enlarging, a reduction of the prostate size, retardation of hypertension, as well as lessening hypercholesterolemia and arthritis. Also, these seeds are known to improve bladder problems.

Winter squash flesh is a great source of vitamin A and C as well as potassium. Winter squash seeds are a great source of vitamin K, riboflavin and folate, as well as magnesium and Iron. As you can see, winter squashes and their seeds supply a large range of nutrients for the body, and should not be missing from your diet when they are in season. Since they are grown in so many parts of the country, finding fresh squash locally grown is fairly easy.

The nutritional facts table below⁽⁶⁾ provides an additional overview of the main nutrients of raw winter squash varieties as well as dried pumpkin and other squash seeds. The values given are for a cup of raw winter squash and 1 ounce of hulled dried pumpkin and squash seeds.

As mentioned above, winter squashes are very rich in beta-carotene, which is the plant precursor of vitamin A. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A. With one cup of winter squash, in particular Jack-o’-lantern-type pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima varieties), you would take in 8567 IU (international units) of vitamin A. The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for vitamin A range from 2,310 (women) to 3,000 (men) IU. Beta-carotene and vitamin A fulfill important functions in our bodies. Beta-carotene is a strong antioxidant. Vitamin A is vital for vision, the reproductive system, as well as growth, development and differentiation of tissues and bones.

Fun Facts for Halloween: According to the US Census Bureau⁽⁷⁾, which analyzed data from 2004 and 2005, there are about 36.1 million potential 5- to 13-year-old trick-or-treaters. The kids have at least 108 million potential houses to stop at.

Production of chocolate, chocolate products and other candy were worth $19.2 billion in 2004. That equaled an average consumption of around 26 pounds of candy per American. The Census Bureau believes that a large portion of that was eaten during Halloween.

Also, the large amount of 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2005 in the United States. Presumably, a good number of them were used for Jack-o’-lanterns and pies.

In 2007, a new pumpkin world record was established. The world’s largest pumpkin, grown by a Rhode Island native, weighed in at 1,689 pounds, topping the old record by 187 pounds. You’ll probably want to select slightly smaller varieties, but we hope the information has inspired you to enjoy winter squash and the holidays associated with it.

References

(1) The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture:
Halloween’s Ancient Roots: From Ireland and Rome to the United States.http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/RR/HALLOWEEN/halloween.htm, retrieved October 2007.

(2) University of Illinois Extension: Pumpkins & More.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/history.html, retrieved October 2007.

(3) Yang X, Zhao Y and Lv Y: Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of an Acidic Polysaccharide Extracted from Cucurbita moschata Duchesne ex Poiret. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2007;55:4684-4690.

(4) Koike K, Lijuan WL, Hata E and Nikaido T: New Phenolic Glycosides from Seeds of Cucurbita moschata. Chem Pharm Bull 2005;53(2)225-228.

(5) Stevenson DG, Eller FJ, Wang L, Jane JL, Wang T and Inglett GE: Oil and Tocopherol Content and Composition of Pumpkin Seed Oil in 12 Cultivars.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2007;55:4005-4013.

(6) NutritionData – Nutrition Facts and Calorie Counter: Raw Winter Squash and Dried Squash Seeds. www.nutritiondata.com, retrieved October 2007.

(7) U.S. Census Bureau: Facts for Features: Halloween: Oct. 31, 2006.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/
facts_for_features_special_editions/007465.html, retrieved October 2007.

© Janett Walter and Take The Magic Step™