High-blood pressure, kidney stones and indigestion.
Most vegetables, such as chayote squash, are good for your blood pressure because they are high in potassium and low in sodium. A cup of chayote squash provides 13 milligrams of vitamin C, or 22 percent of the daily value for this antioxidant vitamin. Chayote squash supplies 29 micrograms of folate, or 7 percent of the daily value, and 0.2 milligrams of vitamin B-6, or 10 percent of the daily value. The serving size for chayote squash is 1 cup of boiled squash. Each cup weighs 160 grams, or 6 ounces, and contains 38 calories. The squash is so low in calories because of its high water content. Water makes up 93 percent of the weight of boiled chayote squash. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of vitamin C. Although most people are familiar only with the fruit as being edible, the root, stem, seeds and leaves are edible as well. Like other members of the gourd family, such as cucumbers, melons, and squash, chayote has a sprawling habit, and it should only be planted if there is plenty of room in the garden. Chayote squash contains vitamins A and C, along with calcium and iron. Photo Credit Ly dinh Quoc vu/Hemera/Getty Images. Like the tomato, chayote squash is actually a fruit that is used as a vegetable. Pronounced chi-OH-tay, it is small and pale green, resembling a large pear. In fact, it is also called vegetable pear, alligator pear and mango squash.  10 Health Benefits of Chayote. Did you know that chayote is good for the heart and may also help prevent cancer Discover the surprising health giving goodness of this cucumber relative. Although chayote is typically prepared as a vegetable, it is in fact a fruit. 1. Good for the heart (Folate). Chayote is an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin which helps prevent homocystein build-up. Studies have shown that too much of this amino acid in the blood is linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Chayote is often cooked with seasoning due to its mild flavor. Chayote is a gourd plant, eaten in similar fashion to the summer squash, cucumbers and melons. You can add raw chayote to salads or cook them in meat or vegetarian dishes. The whole plant including the fruit, stem and leaves contains multiple nutrients and has anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in the treatment of high-blood pressure, kidney stones and indigestion. Chayote contains the trace minerals zinc, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Trace minerals make up part of the body's hormones and enzymes. A chayote provides 1 milligram of zinc -- 7 percent of your daily value. Zinc plays a role in wound healing and supports proper sense of taste and smell. Although technically a fruit, chayote is usually used like a vegetable. Chayote is a gourd that you can use similar to the way you use summer squash or cucumber. You can eat it raw in salads or cooked into stews. Although the peel and seed are edible, the peel is a bit tough and it isn't usually eaten. Chayote is a good source of a number of essential nutrients. Fiber. Eating chayote is also a good way to increase your fiber consumption. A 1-cup serving of chayote contains 2.2 grams of fiber, which is about 9 percent of the daily value of 25 grams for people who follow a 2,000-calorie diet. Chayote squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber. Chayote squash, or Sechium edule, is the Mexican term for the vegetable that some Americans call a vegetable pear. Christophine is another name for this small, green squash. The serving size for chayote squash is 1 cup of boiled squash. Each cup weighs 160 grams, or 6 ounces, and contains 38 calories. The squash is so low in calories because of its high water content. Water makes up 93 percent of the weight of boiled chayote squash. Chayote (Sechium edule) is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, along with melons, cucumbers and squash. Like other members of the gourd family, such as cucumbers, melons, and squash, chayote has a sprawling habit, and it should only be planted if there is plenty of room in the garden.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-chayote-squash-1286.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote http://www.livestrong.com/article/481323-nutritional-value-and-health-benefits-of-chayote-squash/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA82qKxVDyc http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-chayote-7733.html http://woman.thenest.com/benefits-chayote-3850.html http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-chayote-squash-1286.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote
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