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Chayote healthy

Chayote a.k.a chow chow is low in calories and high on nutrients

CHOW TIME Chayote is just what the doctor recommended for the low cal binges

The chayote, a.k.a chow chow, a member of the cucumber family, resists our attempts to trace its origins. Shaped like a large pear, the fleshy fruit with a single seed disintegrates quickly, and no plant remnants have ever been found thus far in archaeological digs. Ethno-historic, artistic and linguistic sources point the plant's origin to Mexico. For example, the plant has many names worldwide, but most appear to be derivatives of its Native American name. Pre-Colombian pottery clearly depicts the chayote. The earliest writings mentioning the plant are by Francisco Hernández, who was in Mexico in the 16th century.

Food uses:

The fruit, stem, tender leaves and the tuberous parts of the adventitious root are edible. Chayotes come in two varieties- a smooth variety and a prickly variety. The bland tasting fruit flesh requires aggressive seasoning to make it palatable for Indian tongues. The edible parts can be eaten raw or boiled as vegetable.

The fruit's softness makes it useful as children's food and as a food for invalids and convalescents. The chayote can be juiced, turned to a paste, jam, sweets, or even added to pasta. The chayote can be stuffed and baked; it can be mashed, pickled or fried.

Nutrition:

About 100 gm of the fruit contains only 30 Calorie. Like the cucumber, the fruit is mostly water. The stem contains twice as many calories as the fruit. The root, which is rich in starch, contains nearly 80 Calorie per 100 gm. The stem is a rich source of Vitamin A precursors, and the plant as a whole contains significant amounts of thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. The fruit and seeds are rich in many amino acids. The fruit is also a rich source of potassium.

Medicinal properties:

The active principles of the fruit, combined with its high water content, increase the volume and frequency of urination. Not surprisingly, in Native American medicine, the fruit is a common folk cure for all kinds of urinary disorders - including urinary infections and renal stones. The fruit is also a traditional remedy for hypertension.

RAJIV. M

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