Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is a South Asian light green, bottle shaped, long squash which contains over 90% of water and is easy to digest. It has many health benefits for mankind. In this current article we will talk about some of the best health benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) and its side effects.
Overview on Calabash:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is a bottle shaped South Asian squash that has the spongy flesh inside and is used to prepare the vegetable curry by cutting it to small pieces. When cooked, Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is known to have sedative and anti-bilious properties. This vegetable is rich in water and is therefore easy to digest.
Nutritional facts and Calorie Content of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
- Talking about the calorie content of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd); it is low is saturated fat, cholesterol and rich in dietary fiber, riboflavin, vitamin C and minerals like zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, thiamine etc.
- 100 grams of the Calabash or Lauki contains 15 calories
- 100 grams of the edible portion of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) contains 1 gram of fat.
- It has more than 90% of water content in it.
From above facts, it can be known that the vegetable is healthy enough to be used in our diet. We will know in detail about the health benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) in the following arrays of the article.
Health Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
Below are some of the health benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd).
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Weight Loss Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) aids in promoting weight loss. This is so because, there are a lot of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre in this vegetable which keep our body well nourished and removes unnecessary appetite. It is mostly beneficial if you take the juice from the vegetable in the morning on empty stomach.
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Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is Beneficial in Treating Constipation and Piles:
This bottle shaped green vegetable is rich is soluble and non soluble dietary fibre and this aids in treating constipation and also piles. It is also easy to digest because of the rich water content it carries.
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Heart Health Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is known to be healthy enough for your heart. It aids in reducing high blood pressure and thus keeps your heart healthy. Presence of minerals like sodium, potassium and other essential minerals and trace elements helps in regulating blood pressure and prevent the risk of heart problems.
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Helps Prevent Fatigue:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) contains rich amount of water and is therefore a great thirst quencher. It is also known to prevent fatigue and keeps the body cool during hot days.
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Aids Digestion:
Ayurveda or natural science of healing recommends cooked Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) to be beneficial for digestion. It contains more than 90% of water in it which make it a beneficial source for digestion.
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Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Helps Treat Hypertension:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) has rich amount of sodium, and potassium and is thus known to be a wonderful fleshy vegetable for patients suffering from hypertension.
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Liver Health Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
As per the natural healing science, Calabash or Lauki is highly essential for balancing the liver function. It is good to take the cooked vegetable or take lauki juice when the liver in inflamed and is unable to process food efficiently for nutrition and assimilation.
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Beneficial for Diabetic Patients:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is a vegetable that is light and low in calorie; so it is also known to be good for diabetic patients. It also is beneficial for people who are recovering from any injury or illness and also good for children.
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Benefits in Treating Diarrhea:
Taking Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) with a pinch of salt, helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance in the body. This is also an excellent home remedy for people suffering from diarrhea.
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Benefits of Lauki to Hair Health:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is also known to be beneficial for hair health. It is believed that drinking one glass of lauki juice in the morning aids in treating greying of hair.
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Mental Health Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
This South Asian green, bottle shaped, vegetable is known to be highly beneficial for mental health. Using the juice of this vegetable along with sesame oil can help in reducing insomnia. You need to massage your scalp with this mixture every night.
It is also known that Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) is beneficial in treating epilepsy, and several nervous diseases too.
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Treating Bronchitis:
Bronchitis, cough, asthma along with biligenic infections can be reduced with Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd). Juice from the vegetable can be taken for treating the symptoms.
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Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Supports Urinary System:
Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) helps in reducing the burning sensation due to high acidic urination and thus supports the urinary system of the body. Apart from this, it also reduces the chances of urinary infection as it is alkalizing and thus has a diuretic effect.
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Other Health Benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
Among other health benefits of the vegetable includes its benefits in treating patients with jaundice, its anti-oxidant properties etc. It also work as an antidote for poisoning.
Side Effects of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd):
It must be informed that some Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) may cause bottle gourd poisoning which is a condition that occurs when a raw bitter or toxic bottle gourd is consumed either directly or in any other form. Actually some bottle gourds develop excess of naturally occurring cucurbitacins in them under adverse environment and may accumulate a terpenoid toxin compound. Such Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) when consume are known to cause serious side effects of illness and even deaths. There may be side effects or symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache etc. immediately after taking such bitter or toxic Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd). Serious conditions like bleeding from the intestine, shock and death may also follow.
Because of this, it is essential to note some of the serious guidelines or safety precaution while purchasing Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd).
- Taste a small piece of the vegetable while purchasing and ensure that it does not taste bitter
- If you are taking the juice from the vegetable, then make sure you are not mixing juice from Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd) with any other juice.
- Be very much aware that in case of any kind of discomfort after taking bottle gourd, immediately visit your healthcare provider.
Conclusion:
Now we are known to all the wonderful health benefits of Calabash or Lauki (Bottle Gourd). Take advantage of this wonderful healthy vegetable, but be sure you keep a check on the safety issue and keep you safe from any kind of serious condition or illness caused due to it.