Summer Squash

Squash has been a staple for the Native Americans for greater than 5000 years, and was a primary food for early Europeans who settled in America. It is said George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were enthusiastic squash growers. In the nineteenth century, merchant seamen brought with them new varieties of squash from other parts of the Americas with many new varieties. This has resulted in the development of several types of summer squash, with zucchini being the most popular summer squash purchased in the United States. The World's Healthiest Foods from the The George Mateljan Foundation reported on the myriad of health benefits of squash on June 17, 2013.
See also : Zucchini

Benefits and uses of Summer Squash are

• Antioxidants : Summer squash has been recognized as being fantastic when it comes to key antioxidants. Summer squash is an excellent food source of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. Summer squash is also loaded with lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which are three other health-supportive carotenoids. Several recent studies have highlighted the unique contribution which is made by summer squash to our antioxidant requirements. The skin of squash is particularly antioxidant-rich, and therefore it is a good idea to leave the skin intact. Summer squash offers an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin A. Due to the other antioxidant nutrients which are also present in squash, including the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, squash can be helpful in providing antioxidant protection of the eye. Although we often think primarily about carrots as providing us with antioxidant-related eye health benefits, we should also consider summer squash as offering similar eye health benefits, which includes protection against age- related macular degeneration and cataracts.
• Blood sugar regulation : Metabolism of sugar in the body requires adequate supplies of many B-complex vitamins, and most of these B-complex vitamins are found in good amounts in summer squash. The B-vitamins folate, B6, B1, B2, B3, and choline are among those found in squash. The minerals zinc and magnesium, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are also provided by summer squash, are also important in blood sugar metabolism. A mainstay of dietary protection from type 2 diabetes, as well as being an important step in food support of diabetes problems, has been found to be an optimal intake of fiber. Summer squash provides a very good amount of dietary fiber at about 2.5 grams per cup. Summer squash also provides polysaccharide fibers such as pectin that have special benefits for blood sugar regulation. The pectin polysaccharides in summer squash generally include chains of D-galacturonic acid which are called homogalacturonan. Animal studies have shown that these components in summer squash help keep insulin metabolism and blood sugar levels in balance, while also protecting against the onset of type 2 diabetes.
• anti-inflammatory : Squash also offers anti-inflammatory benefits. This vegetable is a natural choice for protection against unwanted inflammation, due to the presence of omega-3 fats in the seeds of summer squash, the presence of anti-inflammatory agents like lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, and of anti-inflammatory polysaccharides like homogalacturonan. Preliminary animal studies have demonstrated potential anti-inflammatory protection from summer squash for the cardiovascular system and also for the GI tract.
• anti-microbial : The seeds of summer squash and oils which are extracted from its seeds have a long history of use in botanical and folk medicine. Summer squash seeds have been shown to have anti-microbial properties. In particular squash has good anti-parasitic properties. In fact, in some parts of the world, dried summer squash seeds have longed been used for treatment of intestinal tapeworms or other intestinal parasites. Another area of folk medicine use of summer squash involves non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. The seeds of summer squash, along with oils from those seeds, have traditionally been used to help reduce frequency of urination which is commonly experienced in men who are diagnosed with BPH.
• anti-cancer : Summer squash is also said to offer anti-cancer benefits. The combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients which are found in summer squash is a very rational

nutrient combination for the provision of anti-cancer benefits. The development of many cancer types is seen as depending on chronic, unwanted oxidative stress which can occur along with poor intake of antioxidant nutrients, and chronic, unwanted inflammation which can occur along with lack of anti-inflammatory nutrients. However, research dealing with the anti-cancer benefits from summer squash is still in a preliminary stage. Nevertheless, overall the evidence points to a consideration of summer squash as being an unusually healthy vegetable.