Vegetable juices are known for promoting health and beauty. One of the very famous of them is Lauki juice. Bottle Gourd, widely known as Lauki (or dudhi), is an excellent source of nutrition. Ayurveda and Unani both have endorsed bottle gourd as the most vital vegetable in our diet.
Believed to be one of the earliest vegetables cultivated by man in Africa, bottle gourd belongs to the gourd family of Cucurbitaceae and is a running or climbing vine. It grows in humid weather of India, Sri Lanka and other tropical countries. Besides having excellent dietary benefits, it is a multipurpose vegetable that can be used in a variety of recipes.
Bottle gourd juice has been customarily used for lot of years for curing many bodily disorders. Here are a few:
- Nutrient Packed: It is extremely rich in calcium, phosphorous, vitamin C, iron, and dietary fibers. It is also low in fat, so it is excellent for light, low-calorie drink.
- Cooling Drink: Its high water content makes it very cooling. In the hot summer months, a glass of bottle gourd juice taken early in the morning helps satisfy thirst and keeps you feeling refreshed and cool.
- High Fiber: The high fiber content is very useful in preventing digestive disorders such as constipation, flatulence, and piles. It also aids weight loss as a glass of bottle gourd juice can help control the hunger pangs.
- Effective Against Urinary disorders: Bottle gourd is alkaline in nature. Thus, fresh bottle gourd juice with lime juice taken daily aids in treating the burning sensation in the urinary passage.
- Effective Against Blood pressure and CVD: It helps manage blood pressure in patients with hypertension because of high potassium content, and it is also a good heart tonic.
- Hair Care: A glass of bottle gourd juice taken daily is also considered to prevent premature graying of hair. It also helps in curing hair fall problem and baldness.
- Skin Care: Regular intake of bottle gourd also helps in providing flawless and radiant skin.
- Sodium Loss: It prevents excessive loss of sodium from the body. Being high in sodium, a glass of lauki juice with a little salt added to it replenishes excessive loss of sodium.
- Treat Severe Conditions: Mixture of bottle gourd juice and sesame oil acts as an effective medicine for insomnia, diarrhea and jaundice.
- Beneficial to the Liver: It is very good for balancing liver function and is useful in the treatment of stomach acidity, indigestion and ulcers.
- Helpful for Women: Heavy bleeding during menstruation can be prevented by daily taking a glass of bottle gourd juice.
- Boots immunity: The high vitamin C content gives a huge boost to the immunity.
If you haven't had it before, try out a bit of bottle gourd to take advantage of its many health benefits. About 100 ml to 150 ml of juice consumed everyday will make a world of difference!
