Lauki Love – 7 Amazing Benefits of Bottle Gourd You Didn’t Know

Bottle gourd or lauki, unknowingly is consumed in majority of the Indian families because of the low price tag it carries in the vegetable market and its wide availability.  Many of us are unaware of the health benefits of this nutritive vegetable.. Bottle gourd has been the part of Indian Cuisine since immortal times but we youngsters run away from it, rather, we find it too bland. Like it or not, the benefits of bottle gourd are just too many to ignore this healthy vegetable. Consume it raw or cooked, this vegetable has the most nutritive values that can be induced within us.

1. Weight Loss

Bottle gourd is one of the least calorie vegetable providing just 14 calories per 100g. It is one of the vegetables recommended by the dieticians in weight-control programs.  Consuming raw bottle gourd juice, every morning, empty stomach, helps you to keep away from hunger pangs.

2. Beneficial for skin

Bottle Gourd contains Vitamin C and is anti-oxidant that helps in cleansing skin naturally.  It helps in balancing the oil secretion on the face and keeps one free from acne and pimples.

3. Urinary Disorders.

Bottle gourd helps in relieving from burning sensation from the urinary tract. Its alkaline nature helps in flushing out the excess water stored in the body as swelling and bloating. It also facilitates easy digestion and movement of food through the bowel until it is excreted from the body. Thus, helps in relieving indigestion and constipation problems.

4. Aids in graying of hair and baldness

Drinking a glass of bottle gourd juice once in the early morning helps in treating prematurely grey hair and curing baldness.

5. Revitalization and Replacement of lost fluids

Those suffering from diarrhea, high grade fever or other health issues which are related with profound sweating and water losses should consume a glass of bottle gourd juice. It helps in replacing the lost body water and curbs excessive thirst in diabetics. Treats fatigue and revitalizes.

6. Cooling effect

Bottle gourd has cooling and calming ability due to its good water content of about 96%. It is absolutely helpful during summers and specially those who work under the hot sun as it has the ability to prevent heat strokes and recovers the water lost due to perspiration. Drinking a glass of its juice will ensure that you do not face loss of sodium, fatigue or extreme thirst while you are out in the sun.  It is a thirst quencher. It can be consumed in a juice form or cooked as a veggie.

7. Other Ailments

• Aids in sleeping better and Insomnia
• Acts as a cardiac tonic, an antidote for poisoning and a tonic for alleviating bronchitis, cough, asthma, and biligenic affections.
• Recommended for balancing the liver function, when the liver is inflamed and cannot efficiently process food for maximum nutrition and assimilation.
• also beneficial in conditions like jaundice and inflammation of kidneys.

 – Tanvi Shah