08/16/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
You’ve most likely heard it said a number of times: Squash is a good source of vitamin A. And it is, indeed. A cup of butternut squash is enough to supply almost 300 percent of your body’s needed vitamin A. But what you don’t hear much is how butternut squash can be a good source of vitamin C, yet another nutrient that’s good for your eyes, skin, and overall health.
The butternut squash, Cucurbita moschata, is also known as winter or pumpkin squash. It has a characteristic peanut- or bottle-shaped fruit with rich orange flesh and, like other types of squash, edible seeds. It has one of the longest shelf lives in the squash family, which means you can keep it in your pantry without worrying about it going to waste for quite a while.
As mentioned above, butternut squash contains plenty of vitamin A. It’s sweet, thanks to its rich complex carbohydrate content. In fact, it has a glycemic index rating of 66 compared to glucose reference of 100. But despite its high position in the glycemic index, butternut squash is known to be good for your blood sugar. Its complex carbs slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars, delaying the release of insulin.
Butternut squash also contains minerals like potassium, iron, and magnesium. Its color points to its high concentrations of health-boosting plant pigments like alpha- and beta-carotene, as well as beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. It is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The butternut squash’s vitamin C content is remarkable. It comes second only to vitamin A in terms of concentration per serving. A cup of butternut squash can give you 49 percent of the vitamin C you need every day.
And that’s a good thing because vitamin C has plenty of health benefits, including:
Learn of the other benefits of eating squash at Veggie.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: antioxidant, benefits of vitamin C, brain health, butternut squash, Free radicals, good food, gout, grocery, heart disease, heart health, immunity, nutrients, oxidative stress, prevent disease, vitamin A, vitamin C