This is a vegetable that is widely consumed by all the people in Indonesia, and is actually known as a siamese pumpkin for the rest of the world. But the chayote itself is not native to the Indonesia, so as the name implies, this is a veggie that is native to the land of Thailand. In addition to this, the vegetable has a very fresh taste due to the high content in water. This is why so many people are fond of this amazing vegetable.
The shape of the chayote is similar to the shape of the pear, except when it comes to the color, where you can recognize the chayote by the exquisite green color. There have been plenty of studies which have shown that the chayote is filled with plenty of health benefits and nutrients which the body needs in abundance.
The chayote is filled with vitamins, and yet very low in calories, and also high in minerals, fiber, antioxidants and so on. This is why we have chosen the chayote for today’s amazing list of healt benefits that it can provide you with. So keep on reading and find out how can the chayote aid you and maintain your overall health!
1. It will help you lose weight – the chayote, as well as the other pumpkins, is a veggie that contains a very low amount of calories. This particular kind of pumpkin contains about 16 calories in 100 grams. This means that it can be seen in the nutritional content table at a very high number, because the chayote also contains no cholesterol and no saturated fats at all! Also, the chayote contains a lot of fiber. This is why it is such a recommended food for those people who are eagerly trying to lose some weight.
2. Help prevent birth infant defects – the chayote is a vegetable that contains B complex vitamins as well as folate. The folate is so high, that in only 100 grams of chayote you can get 23% of your daily recommended folate intake. The folate is absolutely necessary in the process of division of the cells, so that the pregnant women, while consuming it, help their infant grow and develop in a proper way, and prevent it from suffering from any neurological defects.
3. Will lower your cholesterol levels – when it comes to the nutrient content table of the chayote, this is a veggie that does not contain any saturated fats whatsoever, even for the caloric content alone in very small amounts. So, based on these factors, the chayote is definitely used to control your overall cholesterol levels. This is why it is quite good to be used by people who are dealing with high levels of cholesterol.
4. Is a great source of stamina – the siamese pumpkin, or the chayote, has also been very well known for the excellent source of potassium, which is a kind of electrolyte that is found very useful as a source of stamina in the body. The content of potassium is found in abundance – about 125 milligrams in only 100 grams of the chayote.
5. Prevent the premature aging – the chayote is a vegetable that has a pretty high amount of flavonoid. The flavonoids which are found in the chayote are able to help the body fight off any harmful substances such as the ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), a substance that has derived from the oxygen but is reactive that can be harmful for the body, and the free radicals are able to cause the premature aging as well as other dangerous diseases.
6. Treat kidney stones – the chayote, especially the leaves of this veggie can definitrely be used in treating kidney stones. This is as it has been revealed in a study which was conducted at the University of North Florida. In addition to all of this, the chayote leaves can also be found useful when it comes to lowering the overall high blood pressure levels.
7. Prevent constipation – if you decide to add the chayote on your food menu you will add the necessary amount of fiber intake that your body needs. The fiber will definitely help you maintain a proper digestive process within the body in order to prevent the constipation from ever happening.
8. Lower your high blood pressure – the regular consumption of chayote is believed to help you lower your overall blood pressure levels in the body. All of this has been even proven by a study conducted at the Purdue University. In this particular study, the chayote has been used as a tea and consumed in the form of a beverage, and all of the results showed that it is definitely able to lower the overall blood pressure levels in the body.
9. Can prevent any heart disease too – the siamese pumpkin or the chayote contains plenty of essential vitamins which are all useful for the overall health of the body. One of these compounds is the Vitamin C, which can be found in abundance in the chayote. As an antioxidant, the Vitamin C is able to prevent the development of any diseases caused by the damage that the free radicals can do, and one of them is preventing any heart disease from happening.
10. Will prevent anemia – when a person has a deficiency in the red blood cells or anemia, this is all because there is a deficiency of iron and Vitamin B2 in the body. The chayote contains these two compounds which are able to stimulate the overall production of the red bllood cells and hemoglobin within the body, so this will lead to preventing the anemia from ever occurring in the body.
Even though this is a veggie that is quite famous for its incredible heath benefits, there is something that you definitely need to be aware of. This is one thing that you should look at when consuming the chayote. When peeling the chayote, in the peeling process, it will emit a cleared colored sap that will cause the fingers and hands to itch and the chayote can even made your hands feel numb.
This is something that happens because the sap of the pumpkin contains a substance that contains anesthetic properties. Thankfully, these effects are temporary and they are going to wear out very quickly. Simply wash tyour face thoroughly in order to ease the effects.
In addition to this, the chayote can cause minor side effects if mixed with aspirin or some medications used in the treatments of cardiovascular disease. But, the benefits of the chayote are used greatly, and this is why you definitely need to consume this veggie on an every day basis.
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