What Happens to Your Body When You Eat This Vegetable…

 

Chayote also contains several antioxidants, including flavonoids and polyphenols. These antioxidants prevent cell damage, have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, and protect brain and heart  health.1

Fruits & Vegetables

1. Boosts Your Immune System
   Chayote contains a good deal of  vitamin C, with a 100 g serving providing about 10% of the daily need.2

Vitamin C promotes a healthy immune system. It is also essential for the body to process collagen, which makes up part of our connective tissue and helps heal wounds. It is also an antioxidant that helps boost the efficacy of other antioxidants.3

Health

2. May Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome
   

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3. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together lead to a higher risk of heart attack, type 2 diabetes, or stroke. Conditions include:4

   Obesity
   High blood pressure
   High blood sugar
   Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (“good cholesterol”)
   High levels of triglycerides (fats in the blood)
   Chayote contains nutrients that could help lower your risk for metabolic syndrome, including boosting cardiovascular health and helping with weight loss.5 A preliminary study in an animal model showed chayote may also prevent fat buildup in the liver.6

   3. Aids Healthy Digestion
      The high fiber content of chayote is good for digestion in the following ways:7

   It contributes to the absorption of nutrients.
   It helps prevent constipation by attracting water to the intestines.
   It promotes the development of beneficial gut bacteria (part of the microbiome that supports the immune system and improves digestion).7

   4. May Lower Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar
      The potassium in chayote can be beneficial to keeping your blood pressure at healthy levels by relaxing the blood vessel walls.8 Low potassium can affect insulin production. Insulin regulates sugar in the body, so less insulin leads to high blood sugar.9

   One study showed the juice of the chayote to be a particularly good source of potassium.10 The polyphenols in chayote are also considered to be heart-healthy.11

   Vitamins & Supplements

   Chayote Nutrition Facts
   According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams (about three-fourths cup) of cooked and drained chayote contains:2

   Protein: 0.82 grams (g)
   Carbohydrates: 4.51 g
   Fiber: 1.7 g
   Calcium: 17 milligrams (mg)
   Magnesium: 12 mg
   Phosphorus: 18 mg
   Potassium: 125 mg
   Chayote is low in calories and fat, with only 19 calories and less than 0.15 grams of fat per 100 g serving.

   Which Parts of Chayote Are Edible?

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4. All parts of the chayote squash are edible, but most people eat the gourd (the fruit). However, you can eat the leaves when they are young and tender. You can also eat the skin, though people often peel it off before cooking.1

   Sugar

   Chayote vines are also grown for their edible roots, which can be cooked like potatoes, and their tender shoots, which are a delicacy in Asian cuisines. You can eat the seed, but most people choose not to.1

   Chayote leaves are made into tea in traditional Mexican cultures. It’s considered helpful in dissolving kidney stones and in lowering blood pressure.12

   Chayote fruit juice has been reported to help stabilize blood sugar and reduce oxidative stress (an imbalance between unstable molecules produced by cell functions and antioxidants in the cell).1

   What Is a Fruit & What Is a Vegetable?
   Any edible plant that contains seeds is considered a fruit, so the chayote, which has one large seed at the center, is technically a fruit. But its texture and uses are like those of a vegetable. Any edible portion of a plant that is not a fruit is considered a vegetable.13

   Should Anyone Not Eat Chayote?
   Chayote is safe for most people to enjoy, but it’s possible to be allergic to it. If you’re allergic to chayote, don’t eat it, and avoid foods that contain chayote.

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