Autumn isn't just about leaves changing color, temperatures starting to drop, or football season being in full swing. It also provides opportunities to gather with friends and family to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. Which means making and feasting on some of the year's most memorable meals. Whatever your favorites are at this time of year, their benefits could go way beyond simply tasting great. Let's look at how including several seasonal staples will improve your wellbeing.
Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoes
We’re pairing these two fall favorites because there’s some crossover in what they’re composed of and the health benefits they provide. Let’s start with a nutritional powerhouse: sweet potatoes. They’re one of the richest sources of beta carotene, which your body converts into the vitamin A it needs for optimal vision, cell growth, and gene expression. Around 80 percent of the protein in sweet potatoes is sporamin. It has powerful disease-fighting properties and may even combat cancer.
Like bananas, sweet potatoes are a resistant starch. This means they digest more slowly than regular carbs, providing consistent energy without a blood sugar spike. So they’re a perfect way to fuel up before or after whatever workout you choose to burn off some holiday meal calories. If you overindulge on grandma’s desserts, sweet potatoes can help sort out your stomach, as they’re high in gut health-helping fiber.
While pumpkin might seem like it’s almost too common for a few weeks of the year – flavoring everything from tea to ice cream to lattes – its enthusiasts are onto something from a health perspective. Like sweet potatoes, its rich orange hue indicates the high level of beta carotene pumpkin contains, and a one cup serving provides 245% of the recommended daily vitamin A. One serving of pumpkin also packs in 505 mg of potassium, which helps ensure optimal muscle and nerve function, moves nutrients into and waste products out of cells, and maintains hydration.
Another reason to enjoy that slice of pumpkin pie even more is that it might protect your brain. A study by Spanish researchers found that carotenoids from pumpkins helped protect brain cells against toxins and also reduced inflammation, suggesting they can limit the effects of age-related neurocognitive decline. If your kids want you to carve a pumpkin, don’t toss the seeds when you hollow it out, but roast them instead. They’re a rich source of stress-busting magnesium and – like the turkey you’ll find elsewhere on the holiday dining table – relaxation-promoting tryptophan.
Cranberries and Pomegranates
Another two seasonal favorites we’re putting together are both red fruits that are loaded with wellness benefits. Cranberries are a rich source of vitamin C, which improves immune function, cellular health, and lowers blood pressure. According to a study that analyzed many fruits and vegetables, cranberries are the richest natural source of polyphenols. These protect against free radical damage, preserve cardiovascular health, boost mental function, and regulate blood glucose.
Cranberries also supply manganese, a mineral that supports nutrient absorption, neurotransmitter production, and connective tissue formation. These tart berries contain plenty of vitamin E that helps prevent blood clots, contributes to skin health, and wards off infections, viruses, and bacteria. There’s a lot of quercetin in cranberries as well, which can relieve joint pain, alleviate allergy symptoms, and rejuvenate aging cells.
Similar to cranberries, the vibrant red color of pomegranates comes from antioxidants, including cyanidin and peonidin. These potent plant chemicals tame inflammation, combat oxidative stress, and improve cholesterol levels. The antioxidants in pomegranate juice – which include ellagitannins – might also preserve cognitive function and protect against the effects of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia, with one study showing that drinking it improved memory in middle-aged and older adults.
Pomegranates also contain a phytochemical called punicalagin. When scientists studied this after extracting it from pomegranates, they concluded that it can assist with “preventing and treating inflammation-associated chronic diseases.” A 2017 review of previous research found that pomegranate juice reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, leading the authors to state that its high polyphenol content can contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as pomegranate compounds having “antiatherogenic, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory effects.”
Olives, Artichokes, and Fermented Pickles
You can find our next group of healthy holiday foods on the relish tray at family feasts. While you could be tempted to get on with the main courses, the benefits of these snacks might make you consider eating a few before you do so. Olives are high in monounsaturated fatty acids that lower LDL (aka “bad”) cholesterol,control blood sugar levels, and increase HDL (aka “good”) cholesterol. Oleic acid comprises 70 to 80 percent of this fat type in olives. A 2023 study stated that this omega-9 fatty acid tames inflammation, helps synthesize antioxidants, and might even reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Another vegetable you’ll want to take from the relish tray is artichokes. It gives you 42 percent of your RDA for copper, which is involved in bone strength, forming joint health-promoting collagen, and creating red blood cells. A 2018 study suggested that inulin – the main type of fiber found in artichokes – can improve your lipid profile, and as it is also a prebiotic that feeds good bacteria, inulin can improve gut health. Artichokes contain a potent flavonoid called silymarin that improves liver function, which is further enhanced by the plant chemical cynarin that artichokes include.
Plucking some fermented pickles from among the relishes will give you more than a salty treat. They are unusually high in vitamin K, a micronutrient that helps promote normal blood clotting and works with calcium and vitamin D to form strong bones and a well-functioning musculoskeletal system. Plus, pickles are high in probiotics that help your microbiome to flourish. The pickling process also produces alkyl catechols that increase the effectiveness of immune cells.