Unless you live in a sunshine climate like Florida or southern California, winter is associated with darkness and a shortage of fresh, locally grown produce. The farmer’s markets are all packed up and everyone’s holed up at home, waiting it out.
But just because fresh produce isn’t growing where you live during the winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy autumn’s bounty of nutrient-dense, cancer-fighting foods all through the dark, cold months.
in the 60,000 miles of your arteries?
This powerhouse food is winter squash. Winter squash is a fruit in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), but most of us think of it as a vegetable. It gets its name from the fact that it’s harvested in late fall into early winter, and its hard outer shell makes it good for curing and storing over the winter.
Types of winter squash include the above-mentioned, plus butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash. Pumpkins too, are winter squash, and they’re great for more than just decoration.
Winter squash contain a large amount of fiber so you feel full faster when you eat. This means you eat less, which helps you lose weight. Plus, squash are full of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, niacin and most importantly zinc.
The mineral zinc is crucial to protecting men’s health, especially from prostate cancer. Prostate cells have a unique ability to store large amounts of zinc, which they use in secreting prostatic fluid.
Studies have shown that high levels of zinc in the prostate inhibit invasive activity of malignant prostate cancer cells and exert anti-tumor activity.1 All of this is pretty well known, so many men take a zinc supplement. But zinc embedded in food is much more bioavailable.
Prostate cancer has been associated with zinc deficiencies,2 so it’s important for men to get enough dietary zinc to maintain a healthy prostate. The Institute of Medicine has established adequate intake (AI) levels of zinc at 11 milligrams (mg) a day for boys and men age 14 and older.3 I think that’s a very low amount, and in my opinion most men should probably be taking 30 mg or more. The only way to be sure is get a blood test for your zinc levels.
One cup of dried, roasted pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, contains 16.9 mg of zinc. You can make them yourself at home (see below) or buy them at the grocery store. Just be sure to check the label, as some store-bought pumpkin seeds contain unhealthy oils and excess salt.
Beta-cryptoxanthin in particular is known to protect against lung and colon cancer. Winter squash contain some of the highest concentrations of this nutrient of any food around. Only red peppers have more.
Researchers have found that beta-cryptoxanthin works to minimize lung cancer incidence by reducing both the proteins and cell receptors that have been implicated in the creation of lung tumors.
While there isn’t a hard and fast recommendation for a daily intake, the general consensus is that getting between 2 and 6 mg of carotenoids a day is enough to keep chronic illnesses and cancer at bay – if merely “not being sick” is your only aim.7 In all likelihood this recommendation is much too low if you really want to be healthy.
Eating just one cup of cooked pumpkin provides. . .
One cup of cooked butternut squash provides. . .
Cucurbitacins are chemicals found throughout the plant kingdom that protect organisms from harmful invaders. They have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects in humans.11And fruits in the Cucurbitaceae family are chock full of them.
When winter squash is in season, you can find a wide variety at farmer’s markets and local pumpkin patches. Once the snow flies you should be able to find it in any grocery store.
Choose organic squash whenever possible, with a firm skin and without visible blemishes. Store in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator) for up to a month. If the squash has been cured it can be stored longer.
Winter squash, including pumpkin, tastes great roasted, baked, braised or steamed. Eat them mashed with a little coconut oil and nutmeg, stuffed with nuts and veggies or in a pureed soup.
Pumpkin seeds can be roasted in a single layer at low heat (usually under 170 degrees). Roast them low, slow and for only 15 minutes to make sure you preserve the delicate linoleic and oleic acids that make up about three-fourths of the nutritious fat found in the seeds.
When it comes to pumpkins, canned is an option as well. Check the label to ensure the only ingredient is “pumpkin” and it doesn’t contain any added sugar, fillers or preservatives.
Just because the growing season is over doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy nutrient-dense whole foods all winter long. By including winter squash in your diet as winter settles in, you’ll ensure your body continues to get the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and prevent cancer.
1 Zinc as an anti-tumor agent in prostate cancer and in other cancers.
2 Zinc transporters in prostate cancer.
4 The role of carotenoids in human health.
5 Chemoprevention by the oxygenated carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin of N-methylnitrosourea-induced colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats.
6 Dietary cryptoxanthin and reduced risk of lung cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study.
7 Daily intake of carotenoids (carotenes and xanthophylls) from total diet and the carotenoid content of selected vegetables and fruit.
8 Pumpkin, canned, without salt.
9 List of winter squashes, pumpkins and other foods rich in Beta-cryptoxanthin.
10 Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt.
11 Cucurbitacins – A promising target for cancer therapy.
12 Cucurbitacin E inhibits breast tumor metastasis by suppressing cell migration and invasion.
13 Growth inhibitory effect of Cucurbitacin E on breast cancer cells.
14 Isolation of cucurbitacin E from pumpkin seed and analysis of its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities.
15 Characterization of anticancer, DNase and antifungal activity of pumpkin 2S albumin.