As a member of the squash family, zucchini has many health benefits. One important Zucchini health benefit is it’s ability to fight depression. The squash family is full of antioxidants and vitamins. These help lower anxiety and alleviate depression symptoms. Zucchini is a powerhouse of nutrition. It’s an excellent source of potassium, Vitamin B6 and A. It also has calcium, iron, and Vitamin C. When you eat a zucchini, your entire body benefits.

Zucchini may look like a cucumber, but the two are very different vegetables. A cucumber is cool and waxy to the touch. A zucchini is rough and dry. Because zucchini has natural sugar, a diabetic person can safely eat it.

Mental health benefit of zucchini

Zucchini has high levels of magnesium, needed by your brain to regulate mood and ease depression symptoms. When you’re depressed, you have trouble sleeping. Magnesium helps you sleep by calming your nervous system. It also works with melatonin, a hormone, to control your body clock and sleep cycles.

Zucchini also has high levels of potassium, B vitamins, dietary fibre, and antioxidants. Folate has been proven to reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. It also prevents the decline of memory, judgement, and problem solving. Potassium increases blood flow to the brain. Thus the brain fog of depression can be helped by eating zucchini.

Vitamin B6 is important in fighting depression. That’s because low Vitamin B6 levels in the body produce depression. One cup of zucchini has 14% of the body’s daily need for Vitamin B6.

How to eat and store zucchini

Zucchini can be eaten raw, cooked, or baked. Zucchini skin is thin and soft. Don’t try to peel the skin off. Trying to peel it off simply creates a mess. Plus, zucchini skin is perfectly safe to eat.

Zucchini needs to be refrigerated. Store it in either in a loose plastic bag or a perforated plastic bag. You can also freeze zucchini. There are two ways to freeze it. Wash the vegetable first. Then cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch rounds, or shred the zucchini. Lay the rounds or shredded parts flat inside the bag and freeze flat.

Allergies and side effects

Zucchini is not good for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). It causes stomach cramps and diarrhea. Pregnant women, smokers, and anyone who had angioplasty are advised not to eat zucchini. That’s because of the large dose of beta-carotene zucchini contains.

Allergies include severe itching or nausea. Another side effect is bloating. That happens because the cellulose in zucchini is fermented by your healthy gut bacteria and produces gas. Eating too much zucchini may also produce kidney stones.

Zucchini is a natural way to fight depression and anxiety. It’s a healthy source of vitamins and anti-oxidants. Almost anyone can eat zucchini and there are several tasty recipes you can try. Happy eating!

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