Bottle Gourd The Complete Nourishing Vegetables
“With zero fat, with a good amount of carbohydrates, protein, water content, vitamins (C, B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9) and minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper and selenium, bottle gourd can be crowned the complete nutritious vegetable”
Grown in tropical environments, this long, tender, green bottle, melon-kind of vegetable is available mostly in African and Asian countries. Bottle gourd (lauki) is also one of the healthiest vegetables available with numerous health benefits.
Though it may be hot during the summer months, there are some excellent foods that help to combat the heat and bottle gourd is one such food, as it contains almost 96 per cent water, Here’s a few health benefits of this versatile vegetable which is a superfood.
Enhances Beauty
The vitamin C present in bottle gourd helps in maintaining skin integrity and strengthens hair follicles, Vitamin C improves collagen formation and thus helps in the fading away of wrinkles. It also improves dryness of the skin. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of vitamin C plays a fantastic role in fighting with the oxidative radicals.
A Summer Cooler
Being a water-rich vegetable (92-96 per cent) bottle gourd helps keeping the body hydrated, especially during the summers. It also helps in treating fatigue and replenishes the electrolytes of the body too.
Improves Sleep
The high water content in bottle gourd and its cooling effect helps in calming the body as well as the brain and thus helps in curing insomnia (sleeping disorders).
Tummy-Friendly Food
The high fibre content in bottle gourd (both soluble and insoluble) helps in curing constipation. This vegetable also betters digestion by improving the secretion of various digestive enzymes. Thus, problems like flatulence, abdominal distension etc. will be improved by including bottle gourd in the diet regularly. It is also good for curing diarrhoea, as it improves the electrolyte balance of the body.
A Must-Have Food For Diabetics
Bottle gourd juice as well as its curries are gaining importance nowadays, as being diabetic- friendly. The fibre, water content and low calories of this vegetable helps in maintaining blood sugar levels. Also, the zinc in bottle gourd helps in regulating insulin levels of the pancreas, which in turn helps in regulating blood sugar levels.
A Low Calorie Food
With zero cholesterol and plenty of vitamins and minerals along with protein content, bottle gourd is a perfect food for people trying to lose all the stubborn fat inside their body. The high fibre helps in increasing a feeling of being full and thus keeps one away from unwanted and unhealthy cravings at least, for a few hours.
Cures Urinary Tract Infections
Due to its excess water content, bottle gourd helps in relieving the symptoms of a urinary tract infection. A burning sensation during UTI usually occurs due to an increased acidity in the urine and the alkaline nature of bottle gourd helps in neutralizing the acidic nature of urine, thus relieving the burning sensation. So, whenever afflicted with UTI-like symptoms, just blend a few pieces of bottle gourd along with a dash of lemon juice and gulp it down immediately.
Balances Hormones
Due to stress, most people nowadays suffer from hormonal imbalance and both males and females are victims of stress which shows up in the form of either depression, anxiety, infertility or eating disorders. Hence, foods that help in maintaining hormonal balance have to be included in the daily diet to prevent such hormonal fluctuations. And bottle gourd is one such vegetable as the zinc in this vegetable plays a key role in the synthesis of the hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, insulin etc.
Natural Post-Workout Remedy
Bottle gourd juice blended fresh, acts as an excellent post-workout drink, as the natural sugars present in it helps in providing instant energy to the exhausted muscles and also the protein and other minerals in it helps in rebuilding and restoring inflamed muscles after a rigorous workout.
The Complete Nourishing Vegetable
Bottle gourd can be crowned the complete nutritious vegetable because it is low in calories and has zero fat, with a good amount of carbohydrates, protein, water content, vitamins (C, B1,B2, B5,B6,B7,B9) and minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper and selenium.
Health Tip
Consume bottle gourd juice immediately as it tends to oxidize fast. Also, before preparing the juice, check if the raw bottle gourd is bitter in taste, as bitter bottle gourd is toxic for the stomach and may cause serious problems.