The health benefits and uses of Chayote
1. Chayote is a wonderful fruit in the gourd family which can be cooked or eaten raw. It has some excellent health benefits for the human body. It is also often boiled, stuffed, baked or pickled.
2. This green fruit does not need to be peeled and can be sliced into fine slices and eaten raw. It is also often boiled, stuffed, baked, fruited, pickled or stuffed.
3. Many people use chayote for high blood pressure. it contains two very important minerals. Magnesium and Potassium within the fruit, reduce high blood pressure naturally.
4. It is wonderful when added to a salad and seasoned with salt and pepper. The rich amino acids and vitamin C within hep to strengthen the immune system and fight off infections.
5. Even the root of this plant can be eaten as it has a starchy consistency. This helps to bulk up meals with carbohydrates and healthy minerals.
6. There are those who consume chayote for diabetes also. The healthy properties of this can reduce insulin resistance and heal the body from within.
7. Both the leaves and the fruit act as a mild diuretic. This makes you urinate more often but also flushes and detoxifies the kidneys. This can prevent the onset of kidney stones.
8. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, tea can be made by adding boiling water to chayote leaves. This is used to treat high blood pressure, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
9. Drinking chayote tea regularly helps to keep your heart and cardiovascular system healthy with reduced cholesterol.
10. The folate within the fruit is used for improving the health of pregnant mothers. This aids cell division and protects babies from neural tube defects.
11. Chayote is also a rich source of nutrients including dietary fibre, antioxidants, manganese, iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, copper, Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C.
12. It also contains apigenin and luteolin. These destroy free radicals in the body and protect your cells from DNA damage and cancer.
13. We recommend adding chayote to delicious homemade soups. They do not have a lot of flavours and work well as a base for adding other healthy herbs, spices and vegetables.
14. You can also blend chayote and push the paste through a sieve. This produces chayote juice which has the same health benefits but can be drunk easily.
15. The high amount of fibre within the fruit and leaves helps to treat constipation and stabilise bowel movements for those with diarrhoea.