Table of contents:
- Chayote's nutritional content
- Benefits of chayote for health
- 1. Good for pregnant women
- 2. Maintain cholesterol
- 3. Controlling high blood pressure
- 4. Overcoming anemia
- 4. Counteract free radicals
- 5. Anti cancer
Sechium edule or better known as chayote, is one type of vegetable that is often consumed by Indonesians. This vegetable can be enjoyed immediately by boiling with the skin. Its delicious and sweet taste makes this vegetable easy to prepare. In addition to boiling, people generally use these vegetables as ingredients for making lodeh vegetables, lontong sayur, sauteed pumpkin, fresh vegetables, and so on. So, what are the benefits of chayote for health?
Chayote's nutritional content
At first glance, chayote is not as popular as other types of vegetables. Even so, this vegetable actually has many health benefits, you know. Because it contains no cholesterol and saturated fat, chayote is one type of vegetable that is low in calories. No wonder, this vegetable is often recommended for people who want to lower cholesterol and reduce weight.
Not only that, chayote is rich in fiber, antioxidants, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, copper, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and vitamin C. Chayote is also rich in folate which helps cell formation and DNA synthesis.. In addition, this vegetable also contains small amounts of antioxidant polyponones, aglycones and flavonoids which are very important in helping to fight free radicals and reactive oxygen species (SOR) in the body, both of which play a role in aging and cancer development.
Benefits of chayote for health
After knowing some of the nutritional content in chayote, here are some of the health benefits of chayote that you should know.
1. Good for pregnant women
The content of folate (vitamin B9) in chayote is great for helping meet the nutritional needs of the mother during pregnancy. Research shows that folate deficiency during pregnancy will cause health problems for the baby. For example, neural tube defects, heart problems, limb malformations, even miscarriage.
2. Maintain cholesterol
As explained above, chayote contains few calories and does not contain saturated fat or cholesterol. Well, this makes chayote a good food to keep your cholesterol levels within normal limits.
3. Controlling high blood pressure
Another benefit of chayote is that this vegetable can help you control blood pressure because it has mild diuretic properties.
4. Overcoming anemia
Lack of iron can make a person prone to suffering from anemia. Well, it turns out that the chayote is the source of these compounds. The content of vitamin iron in chayote can help hemogloblin bind oxygen.
4. Counteract free radicals
Chayote is a great source of vitamin C which acts as a powerful antioxidant. Well, antioxidants themselves are substances that can help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. In addition to warding off free radicals, the content of vitamin C in chayote also helps prevent skin damage due to free radicals that cause premature aging.
5. Anti cancer
The antioxidant content of poly phenolic flavonoids in chayote can bind free radicals that are harmful to the body. If these free radicals are not considered, they can trigger the growth of cancer cells in the body. That is why if you consume pumpkin regularly it can help prevent the growth and development of cancer cells in the body.
Not only that, a recent study conducted by UGM students found that chayote can be used as a base for making ointments for alternative treatment of malignant melanoma. This is because chayote contains flavonoids and saponins which are secondary metabolites and have anti-cancer properties.
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