Know2eat

Butternut squash

Cucurbita moschata

Also known as Butternut pumpkin, Gramma

SaveCompare

A winter squash with dense orange flesh and a hard tan skin, stored for months after harvest. Its carotenoid content rises during storage rather than falling.

Eye HealthBlood Sugar & Metabolic Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Visual function

Eye Health
Limited evidence

Butternut squash is a substantial source of provitamin A carotenoids, which matter for vision where vitamin A intake is inadequate. Trials of squash specifically, and evidence for people whose status is already adequate, are lacking.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Pumpkin and squash preparations are widely promoted for blood sugar, largely on the basis of rodent studies of concentrated extracts. Human evidence for eating the vegetable is not there.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Macular health

Eye Health
Insufficient evidence

Squash contributes lutein alongside beta-carotene, and higher carotenoid intake is associated with macular pigment density. There is no trial evidence on squash and eye outcomes.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Butternut squash

Ask about Butternut squash

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.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories45 kcal2%
Protein1 g2%
Total fat0.1 g0%
Carbohydrate11.7 g4%
Fibre2 g7%
Total sugars2.2 g—
Water86.4 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.021 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.0070 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.042 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.016 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A532 µg59%
Vitamin C21 mg23%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E1.44 mg10%
Vitamin K1.1 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.1 mg8%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Niacin (B3)1.2 mg8%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.4 mg8%
Vitamin B60.154 mg9%
Folate27 µg7%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium48 mg4%
Iron0.7 mg4%
Magnesium34 mg8%
Phosphorus33 mg3%
Potassium352 mg7%
Sodium4 mg0%
Zinc0.15 mg1%
Copper0.072 mg8%
Manganese0.202 mg9%
Selenium0.5 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene4226 µg—
Alpha-carotene834 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.8 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, butternut, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169295).

% 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.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

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.

  • with fatIncreases beta-carotene absorption

    Roasting squash in oil, or serving it with a fat source, substantially increases how much of its beta-carotene reaches circulation.

  • roastedIncreases carotenoid bioaccessibility

    Cooking breaks down cell walls and releases carotenoids from the plant matrix, making more of them available for absorption than raw squash provides.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Bitter squash and cucurbitacin poisoning

    Squash and courgettes occasionally revert to producing high levels of cucurbitacins, usually from seed saved from cross-pollinated plants. Severely bitter squash has caused vomiting, diarrhoea and hair loss, so intensely bitter flesh should be discarded rather than eaten.

  • Too much

    Carotenodermia

    Very high regular intake of orange squash can tint the palms and soles yellow-orange. It is harmless and fades when intake falls.

  • Too much

    FODMAP content at larger servings

    Butternut squash contains mannitol and is tolerated at small portions on a low-FODMAP plan but commonly provokes symptoms at a cup or more.

  • Worth knowing

    Potassium in advanced kidney disease

    Winter squash carries moderate potassium, enough to be worth counting in advanced chronic kidney disease alongside other high-potassium vegetables.