Bhubaneswar: Bottle gourd, also known as lauki or Doodhi in india. It definitely doesn’t get as much attentions as it deserves. Bottle gourd is a vegetable high on water and is a rich resource of vitamin C, K and calcium. It helps in maintaining a healthy heart and brings down bad cholesterol levels.
Bottle Gourd has multiple health benefits, few of them are:
- Bottle gourd is rich in dietary fibre, both, soluble and insoluble. Hence, it helps in curing constipation, flatulence and even piles. It is also easy to digest.
- It promotes weight loss. The vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre in lauki keep the body well-nourished and curb unnecessary appetite, especially if you drink its juice in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Its fat and cholesterol content is extremely low.
- It consists of approximately 96% of water and is therefore a great thirst quencher. It also prevents fatigue and keeps the body cool and refreshed during summers.
- Apart from the iron content it is also rich in vitamin B and C, and helps in anti-oxidative actions.
- It also contains sodium, potassium, essential minerals and trace elements, which regulate blood pressure and prevent the risk of heart ailments.
- High in sodium and potassium, bottle gourd is also an excellent vegetable for people with hypertension.
- It is a suitable vegetable for light, low-calorie diets as well as for children, people with digestive problems, diabetics and those recovering from an illness or injury.
- Bottle gourd is recommended by Ayurveda physicians for balancing the liver function, when the liver is inflamed and unable to process food efficiently for nutrition and assimilation.
