The Benefits of Chayote Squash to Treat Hypertension

Chayote juice is beneficial. Trisno and Endang's blood pressure which had initially surged could return to normal numbers. In fact, only five days, every morning and evening, drinking chayote juice can treat their hypertension. 

With generic antihypertensive drugs, the tension of men born in Wonosobo and women from Purwokerto, Central Java, is down to 160/100 mmHg. Although the furniture entrepreneur has been treated everywhere and various medicinal plants have been tried, the results remain the same. In early January, a customer advised them to drink squash of chayote water. The recipe, one fresh chayote is grated, then squeezed and the juice is drunk every morning and evening. 

After five days, their blood pressure drops to 140/80 mmHg. Until now, complaints of hypertension, such as pain in the back of the neck, frequent dizziness, and feeling weak they never experienced it. "Doctors only give 2x 1/2 tablet captopril 25 mg per day to keep our blood pressure from rising again," Trisno said. Who doesn't know chayote? In everyday life, squash is known as a healthy fruit vegetable. The fruit can be cooked with vegetables.

The stem and young leaves are usually made negligent as a friend to eat rice. In Mexico, year-old tubers are made into delicious food after boiling. In the international world, it is commonly called chayote as a food reserve for the population of Mexico. This plant is planted by people in the fields or in the yard. This plant, named Latin Sechium edule, has trunk creeping and twisting so that it needs to be planted close to other trees or provided arbor so that the trunk can wrap around. This plant is native to South America, its leaves are curved, while the fruit is bell-shaped. 

Diuretic effect 

According to Sudarman Mardisiswojo in the book, Cabe Puyang Heritage of Ancestors, this plant in Manado named Japanese cucumber, the fruit contains vitamins A, B, C, niacin, and a little albuminoid. Because it is cold, if eaten it feels cool and cold in the stomach. Dr. Setiawan Dalimartha, Chairperson of PDPKT II (Association of Indonesian Doctors for Traditional Eastern Health Developers), called the fruit consists of 90 percent water, 7.5 percent carbohydrates, 1 percent protein, 0.6 percent fiber, 0.2 percent ash, and 0,1 percent fat. 

It also contains about 20 mg of calcium, 25 mg of phosphorus, 100 mg of potassium, 0.3 mg of iron, 2 mg of sodium, and some chemicals that have medicinal properties. "The fruit contains saponins, alkaloids, and tannins. The leaves contain saponins, flavonoids, and polyphenols," said Dr. Setiawan. In the book Cabe Puyang Heritage of Ancestors, Sudarman only explained that the fruit of this plant is good for curing canker sores, heartburn, and reducing fever in children because it contains a lot of water. 

That is, there is no explanation of which content can relieve high blood pressure. Dr. Setiawan suspects that, besides being a diuretic, the alkaloid content can also open up blocked blood vessels. Therefore, chayote can reduce high blood pressure. As is known, through a lot of wasted urine due to diuretic properties of chayote, the salt content in the blood also decreases. Reduced salt levels that are absorbing or holding water will ease the work of the heart in pumping blood so that blood pressure will decrease. 

Meanwhile, R Broto Sudibyo, Chair of the Center for Development and Application of Traditional Yogyakarta Medicine, advised patients with gout disorders at the Traditional Medicine Clinic at Bethesda Hospital, Yogyakarta, to consume squash. According to him, chayote water has a good diuretic effect so it can urinate. 

That way, excess uric acid can be immediately removed from the body. In addition to gout sufferers, R Broto explained, people with diabetes are also suitable for eating steamed squash. The content of its extraction is filling so that people with diabetes mellitus no longer consume basic foods in excess. 

However, R Broto reminded, the concoction of chayote was not suitable given to rheumatoid sufferers because the coldness actually triggered the appearance of symptoms of illness.

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