The Evidence Based Diet: Butternut-Squash Soup to Prevent Leukemia?

I cook for my Boston-based in-laws when we visit them, and they have always been so gracious to compliment whatever I put in front of them, especially since the Yankees crushed the Red Sox this year. “This was the best meal I’ve ever had” is a standard phrase, and yet I believe them every time. 

Such high praise would make just about anyone think that they were made to compete on the Iron Chef cooking show. But I began to have my doubts this past weekend.  It was a beautiful fall day, and the garden was chock full of squash, so I decided to make some butternut squash soup.  Instead of the standard recipe, I wanted to try something a little different.  Just when I had nailed the consistency of what I thought was going to be a killer butternut squash soup recipe, I added a teaspoon of ground cloves and a teaspoon of tumeric.  The result could only be described as dreadful: a bowl of yellow metallic-tasting mush.  It was a crushing failure. 

After lunch, instead offering to make up for my culinary implosion by doing manual labor, repairs, or other hard work, I vanished back in to the kitchen to try again.  Success! While the right taste was the ultimate goal, projected health benefits were extremely important. 

Yes, we know, we can't really make any health claims that Butternut Squash soup with tumeric will prevent or cure disease, or the FDA police will pull us over for speeding with a bad attitude. But let's examine the facts. Butternut squash, or Curcubita Moschata, has Vitamin A in abundance, and is an excellent source of Vitamin C.    And curcumin, found in the spice tumeric, appears to work synergistically with Vitamin A to prevent the proliferation of human leukemia cells, according to Liu et al.  Choi et al found that mice fed a diet high in butternut squash had lowered triglyceride and cholesterol levels. And this one tastes great!

1 large butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced)
1 large peeled macintosh apple (diced)
3 teaspoons of orange juice
4 teaspoons of light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of finely chopped sage
1/2 teaspoon of tumeric

salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil 5 cups of water in a large sauce pan, add the diced squash and apple, and simmer on medium heat for 1 hour.
2. Lightly mash in the same pot any residual chunks of apple or squash to get a smooth consistency
4. Add the orange juice, sage, sugar, tumeric,  stir, turn off heat and let it sit, covered, for 30 minutes
5. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste

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Margaret Friesen
Posts: 4

squash soup
Reply #4 on : Tue November 17, 2009, 15:44:19

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Why not add some diced ginger?

Barbara Lock, MD
Posts: 4

Worried Reader
Reply #3 on : Sun November 15, 2009, 15:04:16

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Dear Worried Reader:

Rather than oversimplifying the literature, we intend to provide referenced complex health information to the general public. We are dismayed that you find this article deceiving, seeing as how we 1) couch the connection between the soup and leukemia as a question in the title 2) make a very clear disclaimer about how we do not intend to claim that the soup prevents or cures disease and 3) provide a direct link to the medical literature so that readers can examine the health information for themselves.

Cheers

Worried Reader
Posts: 4

Re: The Evidence Based Diet: Butternut-Squash Soup to Prevent Leukemia
Reply #2 on : Sat November 14, 2009, 23:20:04

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As someone who claims to be a medical doctor, I'm appalled with your over simplification of the nutritional literature. Two studies is hardly enough information to draw the conclusion made by your title.

This type of journalism promulgates false nutritional conceptions and is ultimately a bane for consumers who are already bombarded with deceiving health claims.

Its one thing to share a new recipe but please just call a spade a spade and leave off the deceiving health claim.

Linda Van Haste
Posts: 4

Excellent Website
Reply #1 on : Sat November 14, 2009, 12:41:07

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Thank you for all of the interesting and useful articles and recipes.

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