How Healthy Is Spaghetti Squash?

The spaghetti squash is an oval vegetable about 9 inches long with an off-white or yellow rind. A relative of the pumpkin and cucumber, the spaghetti squash is a winter vegetable harvested from fall through the spring. The flesh's texture is stringy like spaghetti when cooked, which is how it got its name. The traditional off-white spaghetti squash originated in Central America, and the yellow variety was developed by Israeli scientists. The spaghetti squash provides a variety of nutritional benefits.

Vitamins

The vitamin content in one cup of cooked spaghetti squash includes 5.4 mg of vitamin C, or 9 percent of the FDA daily value; 12 mcg of folic acid, or 3 percent of the daily requirement; and 170 IU of vitamin A, or 3 percent of the recommended daily intake. Vitamin C and folic acid are water soluble, and daily replacement of these nutrients is essential for health. Vitamin A is a nutrient essential for vision and skin health often found in vegetables such as the spaghetti squash with a yellow or orange hue.

Minerals

The spaghetti squash also provides a trace level of minerals, including 181 mg of potassium, or 5 percent of the daily value, and 0.5 mg of iron, or 3 percent of the daily requirement. Potassium is a nutrient needed for the proper functioning of all of the body's cells. The body's iron content helps regulate the delivery of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues in the body that need it to function.

Fiber

The fiber content provided by one cup of cooked spaghetti squash is 2.2 g, or 9 percent of the daily value. Fiber is necessary for the optimal functioning of the digestive system. It provides the pressure in the intestines that stimulates peristalsis -- necessary for regular waste elimination, reducing the transit time of harmful toxins that can potentially damage healthy cells.

Low Calories

The calorie content in spaghetti squash is a mere 42 calories per cup, or 2 percent of the daily value. The spaghetti squash is nutrient-dense because it provides vitamins, minerals and fiber, and does not contribute fat or excessive calories to the diet. The spaghetti squash also contributes 92 percent water, an important fluid for hydration, removing toxins from the system and improving metabolism.