In 1994 the Biological Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) commenced a 6 year study to further learn why the people of Japan enjoyed longevity with considerably less heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.

This important study was led by one of China’s leading biological extraction experts, Nanjing University’s Dr. Zhang Zhentao. Since the researchers were aware that kabocha has been a staple of the Japanese daily diet for centuries, they focused on the comparison of kabocha to many pumpkin varieties found around the world.