Belonging to the family cucurbitaceae, Chow chow or chayote is often used to make recipes like sambar, kootu etc. It is also known by other names as mirliton, vegetable pear etc. It is noteworthy that chayote has got a crisp texture and mild taste and it is mostly compared to a mixture of cucumber and squash. There are several nutrients present in chayote like vitamins like vitamin C, folate or vitamin B9, vitamin K etc, minerals like zinc, potassium, fibres plus others like carbohydrates, proteins etc.
Various health benefits of consuming chayote are
Manages blood sugar:
By consuming chayote, our blood sugar levels would be managed well. The reason for this is due to the presence of flavonoid chemicals in this. Chayote would slow down the digestion and delay absorption of glucose in the digestive tract.
Improves heart health:
This is also one superb health benefit of eating chayote. The phytochemicals in chayote would lower the blood pressure in us and increase the blood flow. Chayote has antioxidants in abundance and this would lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, protect our body from free radical damage etc. This would reduce the chances of getting heart related issues.
Slowing down ageing:
It is worthy to note that by eating foods rich in antioxidants the cells would be prevented from being damaged by free radicals. The presence of vitamin C in chayote would help in the collagen synthesis. It is known that collagen is one of the main proteins in skin.
Improves liver functions:
Hepatic fat accumulation would result in fatty liver disease in us. By eating chayote, we would be able to avoid this. This is due to the presence of certain substances in chayote. There are some studies that have proved that chayote squash would decrease cholesterol and fatty acid accumulation in the liver.
Helps in healthy pregnancy:
For the pregnancy to be healthy, intake of folate is necessary by the pregnant mothers. Truth is that folate would play a huge role in the development of the fetal brain and spinal cord etc. Preterm births could be avoided by adequate intake of chayote.
Promote healthy weight:
Low calories with fibre content would help in weight management. By consuming fibres, we would feel full for a long time. By this, we would not eat unnecessary food and weight loss would be promoted.
