The trend of replacing pasta with vegetables is gaining momentum, and squash, along with zucchini, is part of this movement! Spaghetti squash, a winter squash of the Cucurbita pepo species, has been cultivated in America for over 8000 years, from Southern Canada to Argentina and Chile, according to a 2019 study published in Applied Sciences. These squashes come in various shapes and colors, from flat to cylindrical and from white to yellow, orange, dark green, and black. Most likely, you are familiar with the oval-shaped ones that are yellowish.
Spaghetti squash is a popular winter choice for its nutty flavor and nutritional benefits. Besides being low in carbs, calories, and gluten-free, it is paleo-friendly (via Healthline), making it ideal for those following vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, or gluten-free diets. It’s also incredibly versatile. As noted in the Applied Sciences study, like most squashes, spaghetti squash can be eaten raw or cooked and is adaptable in the kitchen. It can be added to salads and soups, baked into bread or biscuits, used as a pasta substitute, made into pancakes for breakfast, or even a pie for dessert. Its high fiber and vitamin content also offer health benefits. Here’s what could happen if you eat spaghetti squash daily.
You’ll consume a lot of nutrients for very few calories
If weight loss is your goal, foods that are nutrient-dense yet low in calories are excellent dietary additions. Spaghetti squash is one such food. According to the USDA Food Data Central, a 1-cup (155 grams) serving of cooked spaghetti squash contains only 42 calories, 10 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein, and less than a gram of fat.
Moreover, it provides 9% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B6, 8% for fiber, 7% for manganese, and 6% for vitamin C. The DV indicates the amount you should aim to consume or not exceed daily, with percentages showing how much a food serving contributes to your daily nutrient intake, as explained by the FDA.
Additionally, a 2019 study in Applied Sciences notes that Cucurbita species, including spaghetti squash, are rich in beneficial antioxidants like carotenoids and tocopherols, found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. These compounds combat oxidative stress’s harmful effects. While the flesh is low in protein and fat, the seeds—delicious when roasted—are rich in protein and healthy fats.
You’ll have healthier bones
When considering nutrients for bone health, calcium and vitamin D often come to mind. However, vitamin C also plays a crucial role in bone health, and spaghetti squash is a good source of it.
A review in Current Drug Targets highlights studies showing vitamin C benefits bone health by increasing bone mineral density and improving bone metabolism markers. However, it’s important to note that while vitamin C can help prevent oxidative stress damage, high doses may increase oxidative stress and be harmful.
Furthermore, a 2020 review in Nutrients suggests vitamin C may influence osteoporosis development and prevention, a condition of brittle bones prone to fractures. The review explains vitamin C might strengthen bones by inhibiting osteoclast activity and promoting osteoblast maturation, two bone cell types involved in bone turnover. Osteoclasts break down bone tissue, and osteoblasts promote bone formation.
You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC. Fortunately, a bowl of spaghetti squash can support heart health, thanks to the antioxidant compounds like vitamin C and carotenoids, along with its fiber content.
A 2018 review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition links higher vitamin C and carotenoid intake with reduced heart disease risk. The authors attribute this to these compounds’ anti-inflammatory properties, preventing artery clogging, a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, known as atherosclerosis (via Healthline).
Additionally, a study in Nutrition Reviews associates higher fiber intake with lower heart disease rates, as it helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. It also manages other heart disease risk factors, like diabetes and obesity, by improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and lowering body weight by decreasing visceral fat, a harmful type of belly fat. So, enjoy a serving (or two) of spaghetti squash this winter!
Your immune system will be stronger
You’ve likely heard that sipping on orange juice can help you recover when you’re feeling under the weather, thanks to its vitamin C content, which is also responsible for spaghetti squash’s immune-boosting effects.
A 2017 review in Nutrients describes vitamin C as an essential nutrient, meaning your body cannot produce it, so it must be obtained from food. Its deficiency is linked to increased infection susceptibility.
Vitamin C protects your skin’s integrity, which acts as a barrier against harmful microorganisms. It also shields white blood cells from damage, aids their movement to infection sites, and enhances their pathogen-killing ability. Moreover, vitamin C may reduce cold symptoms and duration. Therefore, spaghetti squash is a great addition to your winter meals, offering both seasonal enjoyment and immune support.
You’ll improve your digestion
Fiber, although indigestible by humans, provides numerous health benefits (via the Mayo Clinic). However, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans considers fiber a public health concern in the U.S. due to low intake, linking its underconsumption to health issues.
While fiber offers many benefits, it is mainly recognized for aiding digestion and gut health. According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber passes through your digestive system intact and can aid bowel movements and stool consistency, preventing constipation.
Additionally, a 2017 study in Gut Microbes explains that some fibers are prebiotics, feeding your gut’s beneficial bacteria. These bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) beneficial to the host. With 8% of your daily fiber needs per cup, spaghetti squash is a good fiber source, helping you meet your daily requirements deliciously and easily (via the USDA Food Data Central).
You may experience weight loss
While the keto trend brought spaghetti squash back into the spotlight, it’s primarily known for being weight-loss-friendly, helping you achieve or maintain a healthy weight without sacrificing flavor or portions—thanks to its fiber content!
A 2019 study in The Journal of Nutrition found fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, reducing your daily food intake. It also limits protein and fat digestion, lowering calorie absorption. Additionally, high-fiber foods like spaghetti squash have low energy density, providing fewer calories per serving, aiding weight loss. In the study, participants with higher fiber intake showed more weight loss after 6 months.
Replacing regular spaghetti with spaghetti squash cuts meal calories by 82%, as spaghetti squash has 42 calories per cup, compared to spaghetti’s 239 (via the USDA Food Data Central). Regular pasta also has over 4 times the carbs, 8 times the protein, and 3 times the fat of spaghetti squash per serving.
You’ll control your blood sugar
Diabetes impairs blood sugar management, leading to dangerously high levels that harm the heart, kidneys, and vision, according to the CDC. Fortunately, spaghetti squash aids in controlling carb intake—a key factor in managing type 2 diabetes (via Livestrong)—and may help regulate blood sugar.
A study in Nutrition Reviews highlights fiber’s protective effect against diabetes by managing blood sugar levels, potentially reducing medication and insulin needs. Fiber lowers sugar absorption from carb-rich foods, with high-fiber diets reducing post-meal blood sugar by up to 21%. Fiber also improves insulin sensitivity, crucial for preventing insulin resistance, which leads to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (via Healthline).
Improving insulin sensitivity prevents overworking the pancreas, which produces insulin (per the CDC), and is vital for preventing insulin resistance.
You’ll reduce your cancer risk
According to the CDC, cancer involves abnormal or damaged cells dividing uncontrollably, invading tissues, and disrupting function. It’s the second leading cause of U.S. deaths (via the CDC). Yet, fruits and vegetables, including spaghetti squash, contain cancer-fighting compounds and nutrients.
Spaghetti squash, part of the Cucurbita pepo species, contains cucurbitacins, antioxidant compounds with anti-tumor activities. A 2015 review in Pharmacognosy Review suggests cucurbitacins inhibit tumor growth and promote cancer cell death. Another significant antioxidant in spaghetti squash is vitamin C, which has cancer-fighting properties: preventing cancer-causing substance formation, boosting immunity, and reducing oxidative stress damage (via the National Institutes of Health).
Additionally, spaghetti squash’s fiber content may help lower cancer risk. A review in Nutrients explains that fiber fermentation in the gut produces SCFAs with anti-cancer properties, and promotes stool viscosity, reducing gut cell exposure to cancer-promoting substances.
You’ll keep your dental health in check
Due to its vitamin C content, spaghetti squash can help maintain dental health. The National Library of Medicine notes that vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, characterized by swollen, bleeding gums and fragile teeth prone to infection.
A 2019 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicates vitamin C’s preventative effect on periodontal disease—affecting the bones supporting teeth and the oral cavity. The review suggests periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition caused by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), with vitamin C offering protection through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, scavenging ROS. Vitamin C may also slow disease progression.
Your vision will improve
You’ve likely heard that carrots are good for your vision due to their carotenoid content (via Healthline), but they aren’t the only vegetables with vision benefits. A paper in Advances in Nutrition reports that carotenoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are found in orange and yellow produce, including pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
The paper explains that beta-carotene is an antioxidant with pro-vitamin A activity, converting to retinol or vitamin A in the intestine, crucial for eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are essential for macular health, reducing cataract risk and macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly (via the NIH).
In addition to spaghetti squash’s carotenoids, other antioxidants like vitamin C can enhance vision. A study in The Journal of Nutrition links low antioxidant levels with increased cataract risk, a clouding of the eye’s lens leading to vision loss (via Livestrong). The study found that higher dietary vitamin C intake could reduce cataract risk by 64%.
You’ll boost your mental health
Did you know spaghetti squash is a good source of pyridoxine or vitamin B6? A 2021 study in Stress and Health highlights its benefits on emotional health, reducing depression, irritability, and tiredness due to its stress-reducing properties. The study found over 3,000 participants with low vitamin B6 levels had higher anxiety and depression risks.
Similarly, a recent study in The Journal of Affective Disorders found B vitamins are crucial for brain development and function, and their deficiency is linked to psychological disorders. Adding spaghetti squash to your diet may boost mental health, especially when combined with other B vitamin-rich foods. Try a pyridoxine-rich meal with spaghetti squash, marinara sauce, tuna or salmon, and a spinach, chickpea, and raisin salad (via the NIH).
If it’s too bitter, it may lead to toxic squash syndrome
Despite its many health benefits, encountering a bitter squash can result in toxic squash syndrome, which can be severe or life-threatening. A report in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine recounts a 64-year-old woman experiencing weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain after consuming bitter calabash juice, an edible plant in the Cucurbitaceae family like squash.
The report attributes this to cucurbitacin, a compound with cancer-fighting properties that can be toxic in high amounts. It’s identifiable by its bitter taste.
As Well+Good notes, spaghetti squash’s health benefits outweigh potential downsides. There’s no need to avoid it—just discard any with an unusually bitter taste, nature’s warning of potential toxicity.
People with pumpkin allergy may have allergic reactions
Cross-reactivity occurs when people with a food allergy react to other foods with the same or a similar allergen, which their body mistakes and attacks (via The Doctors Library). It’s common in people with nut allergies but may also occur within the Cucurbitaceae family.
A study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports Cucurbitaceae family members as highly allergenic in the U.S. Pumpkin can cause IgE-mediated reactions, where the body releases Immunoglobulin-E to attack a mistakenly identified harmful pumpkin protein (per The Mayo Clinic). Therefore, people with pumpkin allergies face a higher cross-reactivity risk with spaghetti squash.
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