Zucchini Health Benefits

Zucchini is a popular summer squash from the Americas and Europe. Squash is a term that implies that a food is consumed raw, either in summer or winter. It is seen in its green and yellow variants. Zucchini is a nutritious fruit, often mistaken for a vegetable, which can be consumed in cooked or raw form. There are many health benefits of eating zucchini. They are low in calories and hence, helpful to curb obesity and high cholesterol levels.

Zucchinis are an extremely rich source of folates, potassium, and vitamin A. You can also get a good portion of magnesium and manganese from a serving of zucchini. Zucchini will give you the complete amount of vitamins and minerals when you consume it in the steamed form. Health benefits of raw zucchini are the enhanced absorption of vital nutrients present in the fruit. You can include it as a part of your salad in 2 to 3 servings. When consumed in raw form, ensure that the zucchini should is not too mature or too long as it can be fibrous. Zucchini can also be consumed in the form of its juice as well. The health benefits of zucchini juice can be felt in the form of a total body cleansing. With its high water content, zucchini juice is highly satiating and treats your body with good nourishment of vitamin A and C and other vital minerals. Zucchini that comes with its flowers are at the right stage for eating. The flowers of zucchini are also edible and nutritious as the raw fruit. Take the firm, freshly blossomed flowers and remove their stamens or pistils. They can then be cooked or used while baking or in soups. The health benefits of zucchini flowers are the same as that of the squash or raw fruit. It gives you a plentiful supply of vitamin A, C, E, and K and minerals like magnesium, zinc, manganese, calcium, potassium and copper.

Zucchini Nutrition

Zucchini or courgette is often mistaken for dark green cucumbers. However, it is a treasure of nutrition that you can stumble upon while shopping at the market. Zucchini nutrition facts are making it popular among healthy eaters. You can have it in its raw form as summer squash or steamed or baked. You can also enjoy its nutritional value in the form of juice. Zucchini nutritional value is highly enhanced by the right balance of vitamins and minerals that it contains. It has very high moisture content so it deeply satiates your cravings. Zucchini nutritional value is decreased if the fruits are too mature and fibrous or if you overcook them. Zucchini can be referred to as a wholesome fruit. It is rich in vitamins and minerals that attribute for your health and well being. Saturated fat and sodium are present in extremely low proportions in zucchini. This makes zucchini a good choice if you need to lower your blood pressure levels. It also increases its nutritional content. You can find proteins and minerals in abundance in this fruit. Nutrients in zucchini include vitamins, A, B, C, E, and K; minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and manganese; and folates and dietary fiber. You can benefit of the nutrients in zucchini by consuming the fruit as a salad or a juice. The nutritional content in zucchini is also enhanced by the significant portion of beta carotene that acts as a good antioxidant. Thus, you can have lots of zucchini as a part of your diet and not fear of blood sugar levels or cholesterol or any other ailments.

Zucchini For Diabetes, Eyes, Gout & Weight Loss

Diabets

The presence of the vitamin B complex group in abundance makes this fruit a good choice for diabetes. You develop diabetes when your body is unable to metabolize and regulate the level of sugar in your blood. Diabetes can be of many types, but zucchini is specifically found to be effective if you need to ward off type 2 diabetes. Zucchini for diabetes is very effective as the B complex in the presence of zinc and magnesium help in breaking down the sugars in your body. It has an abundance of fiber and pectin, which are vital in regulating your blood sugar levels. The B-vitamins, folates and fiber go a long way in stabilizing the level of sugar in your blood and thus help in keeping Type 2 diabetes at bay.

Eyes

Zucchini is a good treasure chest of vitamin A that is beneficial for your eyes. The beta carotene, zinc and manganese in zucchini along with vitamin C provide good antioxidant protection for your eyes. Zucchini for eyes is extremely helpful in developing the cells of your eyes, thus giving your better vision. Also, zucchini can be used externally to remove the puffy bags around your eyes. This can be caused due to excessive water retention. The high water content in zucchini helps in sponging out the swelling from around your eyes.

Gout

Zucchini is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory carotenoids. This unique quality helps it to counter the effects of excessive uric acid in your body. The high presence of uric acid in your body is what leads to gout, which is a painful condition of inflammation of your joints. Gout is also possible when your intake of fatty meats and alcohol are on a higher level. Gout especially affects your knees and feet, at times resulting in your walking a difficult task to perform. The treatment of gout can also be a very painful affair, and you may be advised a good diet control. This might be more of fruits and vegetables and reduced or zero intake of red meat and fatty foods. Zucchini for gout is helpful as its alkaline property acts against the uric acid in your joints and relieves your symptoms of gout. Initially, you may feel more pain before the pain actually subsides and wanes totally.

Weight Loss

Zucchini for weight loss is a highly effective ingredient in your diet. The major advantage that this fruit enjoys is that it has lower calorie count to serving size. Hence, even if you have larger servings of zucchini, the calorie intake is very low. Besides, the high dietary fiber content helps you to shed off your excess pounds better as it helps you to burn off more calories that you consume. Zucchini for weight loss helps you cut down your weight in a healthy manner. Being a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin A and C, and lots of dietary fiber, you can lose weight without your body being depraved of its essential nutrients. The added advantage of incorporating zucchini in your diet when you want to control your weight is that it requires no extra preparation time. It can be had raw, steamed, baked, or even as a juice. The antioxidant effects of zucchini can be more enjoyed when you steam it. Zucchini in your diet helps to enhance your digestion and keeps constipation at bay. The fiber in zucchini causes your liver to absorb more cholesterol to produce bile for digestion. Thus, you can be safe from cholesterol getting deposited in the lining of your blood vessels. With lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you can reduce your weight more effectively and in a healthy manner by making zucchini a part of your dietary intake.

Submitted on January 16, 2014