It is quite easy to recognize a chayote squash because this fruit has a shape similar to the one found in pears and a pale lime green color as well as relatively deep pockmarks that go vertically all over the skin and unite at the bottom (where the flower ends).
This is a very commonly used ingredient because it delivers beautiful taste to any food and it comes with many health benefits when used in different dishes.
Do you know that chayote is great for your heart and that it can keep you safe from cancer?
Take a closer look at the incredible health benefits that this special cucumber relative has to provide. Although chayote, or Sechium Edule as some people call it, is usually prepared as a veggie, this is actually a fruit.
Chayote is packed with crunchy, tasty flesh that can be consumed cooked or raw. This fruit is known by different names in different parts of the world including chow-chow, christophene, and mirliton. It belongs to the squash family and you can find it under this interesting name too – vegetable pear.
10 Incredible Health Benefits of Chayote
1. It boosts energy
Start the day with a breakfast that consists of chayote and eggs. This special omelet contains a large amount of manganese, a mineral that can support the body’s effort to turn protein and fat into energy.
2. It eases heavy legs and fatigue
Fatigue and heavy legs are signs that the body lacks potassium. Take more foods rich in potassium like chayote to stay safe and solve this problem.
3. Great for the heart
Chayote is a rich source of folate. This is a type of vitamin B that can help people prevent homocysteine build-up. Scientific studies have confirmed that having too much of this amino acid in the system can lead to increased chances of developing stroke or coronary heart disease.
4. Great for the brain
Studies have also confirmed that vitamin B6 can enhance memory performance in many people. Chayote has vitamin B6 in abundance.
5. Keep us safe from constipation
In case your body requires fiber, you can always count on this fruit.
6. Keeps us safe from acne
Chayote is rich in zinc. This mineral has a direct impact on the hormones in the body that manage the production of oil in our skin.
7. It’s good for the thyroid gland
Chayote helps the iodine in keeping the thyroid optimized and healthy by providing copper, a mineral linked to thyroid metabolism, especially in the release and absorption of these hormones.
8. Keeps us safe from bone loss
It brings more vitamin K to the body. Lack of this vitamin is associated with the emergence of osteoporosis.
9. May have an ability to prevent cancer
Chayote is rich in vitamin C and this vitamin is a powerful antioxidant. It is important to take more antioxidants because they protect us from cellular damage caused by the activity of free radicals. Scientific studies have shown that antioxidants can slow down or prevent the growth of cancer.
10. Soothes leg cramps
Finally, chayote is rich in magnesium. This essential mineral acts as an electrolyte that can prevent and treat muscle cramps.
Remember to share this article with your friends! They should definitely learn more about chayote!
Source: Read and Digest
