Nutritional and health benefits
Winter squash, especially the darkerfleshed ones such as pumpkin and acorn squash, have a number of beneficial nutrients including excellent levels of carotene, good amounts of vitamin C, manganese, B vitamins (B1, B3, B6) and folate. The seeds, particularly pumpkin seeds, are small powerhouses of nutrients containing good levels of phytosterols, manganese and magnesium.
Protection against cancer …show more content…
A study earlier this year found that patients with higher levels of carotenoids (of which carotenes are one type), in their blood, had a lower risk of death or reoccurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, while a recent 2010 study demonstrated that beta carotene exerted a protective influence with regard to breast cancer development. In 2009, researchers reported that study participants with certain blood levels of carotenoids were associated with a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk. This risk reduction was specifically correlated to women with the highest measurements of breast density. Increased breast density has been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer