Cucurbita pepo
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
A small ridged winter squash with dark green skin and pale orange flesh, usually halved and roasted in the skin. It is drier and less sweet than butternut and lower in carotenoid.
Also known as Pepper squash, Des Moines squash, Table queen
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Acorn squash is a reasonable source of fibre for a starchy vegetable, and fibre intake as a category has decent trial support for stool frequency. No trial has used acorn squash itself.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Orange-fleshed squashes are grouped with other carotenoid sources in eye-health advice. Acorn squash is one of the paler and therefore lower-carotenoid winter squashes, and no study has looked at it against any eye outcome.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 40 kcal | 2% |
| Protein | 0.8 g | 2% |
| Total fat | 0.1 g | 0% |
| Carbohydrate | 10.4 g | 4% |
| Fibre | 1.5 g | 5% |
| Water | 87.8 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.021 g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.0070 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.042 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.016 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 18 µg | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 11 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.14 mg | 12% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.7 mg | 4% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.4 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.154 mg | 9% |
| Folate | 17 µg | 4% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 33 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.7 mg | 4% |
| Magnesium | 32 mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 36 mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 347 mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 3 mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.13 mg | 1% |
| Copper | 0.065 mg | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.167 mg | 7% |
| Selenium | 0.5 µg | 1% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Beta-carotene | 220 µg | — |
| Alpha-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 38 µg | — |
| Ash | 0.9 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Squash, winter, acorn, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168472).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Xanthophyll carotenoid
A xanthophyll carotenoid selectively concentrated in the macula of the retina, alongside zeaxanthin.
Carotenoid
A provitamin A carotenoid the body converts to retinol as needed. High-dose supplements have shown harm in smokers, unlike dietary intake.
Considerably lower than in butternut or pumpkin, which the pale flesh reflects.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Beta-carotene requires dietary fat for absorption, and roasting squash with oil or serving it with butter markedly increases how much reaches circulation.
Heat breaks down cell walls and releases carotenoids from the plant matrix, so cooked squash gives up more of its beta-carotene than raw squash does.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Worth knowing
Cucurbits can revert to producing cucurbitacins, the bitter compounds bred out of edible varieties, particularly in seed saved from plants that crossed with ornamental gourds. Eating bitter squash has caused severe vomiting, diarrhoea and, in reported French cases, hair loss. The rule is simple: if it tastes bitter, stop eating and throw it away.
Worth knowing
Winter squashes are concentrated in potassium. That is generally useful, but it matters for anyone with advanced chronic kidney disease or taking potassium-retaining medication.
Worth knowing
Winter squash is a starchy vegetable rather than a watery one. Acorn squash carries several times the carbohydrate of courgette for the same volume.