Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata), sometimes known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin.
Uses
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Although technically a fruit, butternut squash is used as a vegetable that can be roasted, sautéed, toasted, puréed for soups, or mashed and used in casseroles, breads, and muffins.
Benefits
- Butternut squash composes of many vital polyphenolic antioxidants and vitamins. Like in other Cucurbitaceae members, butternut too has very low calories; 100 g provides just 45 calories. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, is a rich source of dietary fiber and phytonutrients. Squash is one of the common vegetables that often recommended by dieticians in the cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
- It has more vitamin-A than that of in pumpkin. At 10,630 IU per 100 g, it is perhaps the single vegetable source in the Cucurbitaceae family with the highest levels of vitamin-A, constituting about 354% of RDA. Vitamin-A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucosa. It is also an essential vitamin for healthy eyesight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin-A help the human body protected against lung and oral cavity cancers.
- Furthermore, butternut squash has plenty of natural polyphenolic flavonoid compounds like a and ß-carotenes, cryptoxanthin-ß, and lutein. These compounds convert into vitamin-A inside the body and deliver same protective functions of vitamin-A in the body.
- It is rich in the B-complex group of vitamins like folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.
- It has a similar mineral profile as that in pumpkin, containing adequate levels of minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
- Butternut squash seeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids that benefit for heart health. Also,they are rich in protein, minerals, and numerous health-benefiting vitamins. The seeds are an excellent source of health promoting amino acid, tryptophan. Tryptophan converts to health benefiting GABA neurochemical in the human brain.
Cautions
- Butternut squash has no known reported cases of allergic reactions.
- Pregnant and nursing mothers can eat it safely.
- However, being a member of cucurbits, some fruits may carry cucurbitacin toxin. Therefore, bitter tasting butternuts, raw or cooked, should be completely avoided.
Interactions
Please consult with your doctor.
Other names
butternut pumpkin, cucurbita moschata or gramma
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butternut_squash
NutritionAndYou, http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/butternut-squash.html
Image source: By George Chernilevsky – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21476676