Bottle gourd also known as dudhi or Lauki is found almost in every household. Many people don’t like it because of its bland flavor and also known as a vegetable for the sick. Bottle gourd is yellowish green in color and their shape is like a bottle, its pulp is white with a spongy flesh. This vegetable contains 96.1% of water, calories about 12 kcal and is high in fiber. These gourds can be grown easily and have many nutritional attributes. It is rich in B complex vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorous. Bottle gourd provides different health benefits like:
• Lauki helps to lose weight as this is high in water content and fiber. It is also low in calories and fat.
• Water retention is the common problem seen in many overweight people. Lauki is a natural diuretic so beneficial for the people who have water retention.
• Lauki is easy to digest and also gives a cooling effect.
• Bottle gourd is very useful in treating urinary disorders like burning sensation while passing the urine.
• This vegetable is very much beneficial when an inflammation is there in the liver. So it can be used in jaundice also.
• Lauki is rich in fiber so helpful to prevent constipation and other digestive disorders like flatulence and piles.
• It reduces the fatigue and keeps you fresh.
• As this vegetable is high in fiber and low in calories and fats so helpful for the diabetics and heart patients.
• Some studies suggest that juice of Lauki is helpful in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder if taken in moderation.
• It contains considerable amounts of iron, thiamine, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous which helps to improve overall health.
• It is low in sodium so very good vegetable for the hypertensive people.
• As this vegetable is easy to digest it can be taken in fevers or while recovering from any illness.
• Bottle gourd is also good for children as this is easy to digest and does not contain any erotic flavors.
Nutritional value BOTTLE GOURD (100 gm) as per Nutritive value of Indian foods
• Moisture (g): 96.1
• Protein (g): 0.2
• Fat (g): 0.1
• Minerals (g): 0.5
• Crude Fiber (g): 0.6
• Carbohydrates (g): 2.5
• Energy (Kcal): 12
• Calcium (mg): 20
• Phosphorus (mg): 10
• Iron (mg): 0.46
• Carotene (mcg): 0
• Thiamine (mg): 0.03
• Riboflavin (mg): 0.01
• Niacin (mg): 0.2
• Total B6 (mg): 0
• Folic Acid (free) (mcg): 0
• Folic Acid (Total) (mcg): 0
• Vitamin C (mg): 0
Also Remember: Bottle gourd juice if tastes bitter should not be consumed as it may cause health hazards as this produces toxic substances in it. Vegetables like bottle gourd, cucumber, pumpkin and melon though healthy but can be dangerous to health if the bitter parts are not removed before eating as they contain harmful toxins called tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacins compounds which can be poisonous if they taste unusually bitter. Hence the best way to test is to taste the bottle gourd before making the juice.
