Chayote is packed with fiber and other essential nutrients that support digestive health, weight management and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. ()
Healthline reports that eating chayote may help slow telomere shortening, which has been linked to both aging and some diseases. Its nutritious constituents make this gourd vegetable an ideal addition to soups, stews and curries.
Supports Heart Health
Chayote squash offers low calories, carbohydrates and fat consumption while boasting plenty of filling fiber and essential vitamins and minerals for good health. Plus it contains powerful antioxidants which may fight inflammation while supporting heart wellness.
Chayote (Sechium edule), is a large pear-shaped vegetable native to Mexico and Central America, belonging to the gourd family, related to cucumbers, zucchinis, melons and others. Chayote can easily be prepared into wedges for salads and salsas or pickled for pickling relish. In soups stews and casseroles it can also be added.
Chayote provides ample nutrition in terms of vitamin C and folic acid content, copper, potassium, manganese and vitamin K – especially important during pregnancy to decrease preterm birth rates. One medium-sized chayote provides approximately 40% of its recommended daily allowance of folate!
Myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol are potent anti-inflammatory compounds found in fish oil that may help reduce inflammation throughout the body and protect against chronic diseases like gout, arthritis and asthma.
Chayote contains high levels of soluble fiber that can help address multiple health concerns, including digestive disorders and obesity. By slowing food through your digestive tract and increasing satiety, chayote makes it easier for you to manage appetite and calorie consumption.
Chayote has also been shown to possess anti-diabetic properties and may enhance insulin sensitivity in the body, while it also shows promising effects for liver health, including decreasing fatty acid buildup and improving its ability to process fat efficiently.
Chayote squash is an exceptional addition to any diet, offering flavor and nutrients in spades while supporting pregnancy, lowering cholesterol levels and anti-inflammatory benefits that make it suitable for treating chronic conditions such as diabetes or arthritis. Chayote should definitely become part of your regular meals!
Provides Antioxidants
Chayote is an extremely versatile food, thanks to its mild flavor and crisp texture, making it suitable for many different recipes and cuisines. Furthermore, its unique plant compounds boast powerful antioxidant effects which protect the body against oxidative stress while supporting normal health functions (1).
Chayote squash offers significant nutrition value with significant amounts of vitamin C, folate and potassium present in every one-cup serving. In addition, this food offers over two grams of healthy fiber with an extremely low glycemic index value that makes chayote an excellent way to control blood sugar levels or manage diabetes (2).
Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential nutrient for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, providing over 40% of the recommended daily allowance in just one cup of chayote squash (3).
Chayote contains high concentrations of folic acid and moderate amounts of vitamin C, an effective antioxidant. Vitamin C helps protect against oxidative damage by encouraging collagen production which promotes skin health, reduce inflammation and fight free radicals which contribute to age and disease.
Food Chemistry’s study on Chayote demonstrated its rich polyphenol content. These include flavonoids and phenolic acids which exhibit antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties as well as having potential hepatoprotective qualities that could help prevent fatty liver disease.
Chayote boasts numerous nutrients that promote an immune-system health, such as Vitamin A which works to boost the body’s response and eye health, as well as potassium which supports heart and cell health.
Chayote is a staple ingredient in Mexican and Central American cooking, but can now also be found at many supermarkets throughout the southern US region. Resembling cucumber in appearance but boasting sweeter and less bitter tastes than its counterpart, its firm yet crunchy flesh boasts light green coloring with white seeds inside its white exterior skin.
Aids in Digestion
Chayote (Sechium edule), also referred to as mirliton and choko, is an edible gourd-like vegetable native to warm climates that is harvested as mirliton or choko from vines. Mild in flavor with crunchy texture and packed full of vital vitamins and minerals, you can enjoy this versatile food raw or cooked – for salads, salsas or ceviches or even refreshing green smoothies!
Chayote nutrition includes high amounts of folate, vitamin C and potassium – essential nutrients for pregnant women who aim to avoid preterm births. Just one serving of chayote provides 31% of your recommended daily folate intake! Folate is also involved with cell development and promotes normal blood cell functions – two vital processes during gestation.
Chayote is also a source of fiber, essential to digestive health. Chayote fiber can slow digestion and prevent rapid absorption of sugar to help manage blood sugar levels and help with weight loss; moreover, eating fiber may keep you feeling full for longer.
Chayote also helps improve liver function and reduce fat accumulation in the liver, which is especially useful for people suffering from fatty liver disease – an illness in which excess fat accumulates in the organ. Studies suggest that chayote could help prevent this condition by decreasing fatty acid deposits and cholesterol levels in the body.
Chayote contains antioxidant compounds which may also aid in improving blood flow and lowering high blood pressure, potentially by reducing inflammation and free radical damage, both factors which contribute to heart disease.
Chayote fiber helps improve gut barrier function, leading to greater intestinal microbial diversity and enhanced nutrient absorption – thereby protecting against inflammatory conditions like IBS. Plus, its low caloric count and healthy protein content makes it a perfect option for weight management goals! Chayote’s hunger-reducer effects also prevent overeating; an added plus!
Assists in Weight Management
Chayote squash makes an excellent nutritional addition to any meal, whether consumed raw in salads or cooked and mashed as a side dish. Packed full of fibre, folate, vitamin C and antioxidants – providing numerous health benefits including weight management, fertility improvement and anti-ageing protection – chayote boasts several health advantages when consumed regularly – such as healthy weight management, enhanced fertility and anti-ageing protection.
Chayote contains high levels of dietary fibre that can aid weight loss by making people feel full for extended periods of time, which reduces calorie consumption overall. Furthermore, this nutrient has been known to regulate blood sugar levels which helps prevent and manage both diabetes and prediabetes.
Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential nutrient needed for brain and spinal cord development in embryos during gestation. Additionally, studies have linked its consumption with reduced rates of birth defects. Chayote provides a rich source of this essential nutrient with one serving providing 40% of your recommended daily allowance of Folate!
Chayote is an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining healthy blood pressure. Eating more foods that contain potassium may even help lower sodium intake and improve your BP!
By including Chayote in your diet, it can also lower your risk for high cholesterol and blood sugar. According to studies, the myricetin and kaempferol antioxidants found within this squash may provide protection from these conditions by supporting proper liver functioning and lowering cholesterol.
Studies show that eating more fruits and vegetables, including chayote, may help fight cancer. Studies demonstrate a link between higher consumption of these foods and decreased risks of certain cancers – such as those affecting the digestive tract or leukemia – as well as animal and test tube studies suggesting these compounds could prevent shortening telomeres that play an integral part of aging and diseases associated with shortening telomeres.
Chayote boasts a crisp texture and mild flavor that’s versatile enough to add variety to any number of dishes. It can be eaten raw in salads with citrus-based dressings, or cooked steamed or roasted to retain nutrients and flavors. However, as with all food items it is important to not overdo cooking so as not to create something mushy and soft.
