Spaghetti squash is a type of winter squash with an oblong shape and golden to deep yellow skin. This large squash can weigh up to eight pounds. Its name comes from the stringy, spaghetti-like strands of flesh inside the hard rind. Eat these nut-flavored strands like pasta by topping them with sauce or garnishing a main dish with them.
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene gives yellow and orange plants their color. Spaghetti squash isn't as rich in beta-carotene as deep orange squashes, notes Dianne Lamb, a Nutrition and Food Specialist from the University of Vermont, but it does have some. Beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A, meaning the body can covert this nutrient to vitamin A. Vitamin A supports eye and skin health, and keeps the immune system strong.
Potassium
Potassium is also a significant nutrient in spaghetti squash. This mineral is an electrolyte and conducts electricity in the body. A healthy level of potassium is necessary to maintain the right levels of other electrolytes like calcium, sodium and magnesium. This balance is critical for heart function and important for skeletal muscles and the muscles in the digestive tract.
Vitamin C
Although more commonly found in citrus fruits, vitamin C is found in spaghetti squash, as well. This vitamin is a well-known antioxidant and as such helps protect cells from damage. The body also uses this vitamin to form and repair skin, blood vessels, bones and teeth.
Folic acid
Spaghetti squash contains small amounts of folic acid, or vitamin B9, which is necessary for the body's use and creation of proteins. It's also important for forming red blood cells and preventing anemia. Because folic acid helps create new cells, it is vital during periods of rapid growth. This vitamin is particularly important for women planning to conceive, since it can help prevent birth defects like spina bifida.
Manganese
The body needs only a small amount of this trace mineral, but that amount is important for healthy connective tissue and bones, normal brain and nerve function, and balanced sex hormone levels. It also contributes to production of the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), adding to spaghetti squash's antioxidant powers.
Other Nutrients
Spaghetti squash is a low-fat source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. A cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 10 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber. Complex carbohydrates don't cause the spike in blood sugar the way simple carbohydrates like sugar and white bread do. Fiber helps lower cholesterol levels. In theory, fiber may also reduce the risk of colon cancer, suggest experts from Colorado State University.
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