Face squash is pumpkin. Noodle gourd means pumpkin in some regional dialects, it's just called differently in different regions. It is also known as bonobo squash, fenugreek squash, and northern squash. Native to South America, later introduced into China.

The stem of the squash is several meters long, rooting at the nodes, stout, furrowed, and covered with short stiff hairs, and the tendrils are divided into 3 to 4 forks. Single leaves alternate, leaf blade cordate or broadly ovate, 5 lobed with 5 angles, slightly soft, 15-30 cm long, both sides densely velvety, along the edge and leaf surface often white spots, the edge of the irregular serration.

Noodle gourd contains starch, protein, carotene, vitamin B, vitamin C and calcium, phosphorus and other ingredients. Its nutritional richness, for rural people often eat squash, and increasingly valued by urban people. Not only has a high food value. And has a non-negligible therapeutic role.

Expanded Information:

The main nutritional value of the noodle gourd

1, polysaccharides: pumpkin polysaccharides are a non-specific immune enhancers, which can improve the immune function, promote cytokine production, and enhance the immune function of the body. function, promote cytokine production, through the activation of complement and other pathways on the immune system to play a multi-faceted regulatory functions.

2, carotenoids: pumpkin in the rich carotenoids in the body can be converted into important physiological functions of vitamin A, thus the growth of epithelial tissue differentiation, maintain normal vision, and promote the development of bone has an important physiological function.

3, pectin: pumpkin pectin can regulate the rate of absorption of food in the stomach, so that sugar absorption slows down, soluble fiber can delay the emptying of food in the stomach, control the rise in blood sugar after meals. Pectin can also be combined with excess cholesterol in the body, so that cholesterol absorption is reduced and blood cholesterol concentration decreased.

4, mineral elements: pumpkin is rich in cobalt, cobalt content in all types of vegetables in the first place. Cobalt can be active in the body's metabolism, promote hematopoietic function, and participate in the synthesis of vitamin B12 in the body, is the human pancreatic islet cells must be trace elements.

Vitamin C contained in pumpkin can prevent nitrate in the digestive tract into carcinogenic nitrite. Mannitol, contained in pumpkin, reduces the harmful effects of toxins in feces.

Pumpkin can eliminate the mutagenic effect of carcinogens nitrosamines. There are anti-cancer effects. Pumpkin is rich in zinc, involved in the body of nucleic acids, protein synthesis, is an inherent component of adrenocorticotropic hormone, an important substance for human growth and development.

5, amino acids: pumpkin contains a variety of amino acids needed by the human body, including lysine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, threonine and other high content. In addition, the genotype of ascorbic acid oxidase in pumpkin is the same as that in tobacco, but the activity is significantly higher than that of tobacco, indicating a higher content of immunoreactive proteins in pumpkin.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Noodle Squash