Health Benefits of Eating Bottle Gourd
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Cooling RemedyPeople consume bottle gourd or calabash for its cooling health purpose. The fruit is mostly made up of water. It is diuretic, useful for digestion and helps cure constipation.
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Treat Urinary DisordersBurning sensation in urinary tract is often caused by high acidity in urine. Bottle gourd juice offers an alkaline solution to heal the ailment. When combined with lime juice, the mixture is believed to help eliminate stones in the body.
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Revitalizing AidCalabash juice also provides revitalizing health effects. The nutritious fruit is a good source of sodium, which is effective in preventing electrolyte imbalance due to loss of fluid during diarrhea. Apart from that, it assists in quenching thirst and getting rid of fatigue.
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Promote Weight LossFat and calories in bottle gourd is very low. It gives you the health advantage over weight loss. Consuming the fruit also makes you feel full and less craving for food, thus avoiding intake of unnecessary calories.
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Enhance Liver FunctionThe health fact that calabash is great for the wellbeing of the liver has been claimed by the Ayurvedic physicians. The nutrient-rich fruit is believed to be able to treat liver inflammation and to boost the liver function.
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Excellent Hair TherapyAccording the Ayurvedic treatment, drinking of bottle gourd juice helps slowing down the process of hair graying and contributing to healthy, shiny black hair.
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Other Health Properties of CalabashThe importance of calabash also includes its capability of reducing blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease, improving sleeps as well as enhancing the skin texture. Studies have found the fruit to contain abundant vitamins and minerals such as the essential vitamin C, sodium, potassium and iron.
Overview and Facts about Bottle Gourd
A bottle gourd (scientific name Lagenaria siceraria) is also known as calabash or opo squash. The fruit is edible fresh or dried and can be made into utensil, bottle or even musical instrument.
Bottle gourd is called by various namesin different countries. It is called lauki, dudhi, sorakaya or ghiya in India, labu in Indonesia, hyotan or yugao in Japan, labu air in Malaysia, upo in the Philippines, diya labu in Sri Lanka, buap khaus or nam tao in Thailand, and bau in Vietnam.
Calabash plant is native to either Africa or Asia. It grows across subtropical and tropical regions of the world. The fruit has been a common ingredient in various recipes from Central America, Africa, Mediterranean, Middle East as well as South and East Asia. It is made into soups, stews, stir-fries or prepared as a squash.
Bottle gourd seeds are toasted and ground to make horchata, a traditional drink in Central America. In Tanzania, the seeds are used to produce sweets. In China, bottle gourd is called hu lu and it is believed to have strong medicinal properties that it is used to keep medicines. Other edible parts of the plant include leaves, tendrils and shoots.
Bottle Gourd Nutrition Facts and Calories
| Nutrition Value of 1/2 cup (58 g) Raw Calabash |
| Calories |
8 kcal |
| Total Fat |
0 g |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
| Sodium |
1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates |
2 g |
| Dietary Fiber |
0 g |
| Sugars |
- g |
| Protein |
0 g |
Bottle Gourd Recipe
Bottle Gourd Juice Recipe
Ingredients:
- 240 ml bottle gourd, skin peeled and seeds removed
- 3 ml ginger, chopped
- 10 ml lemon juice
- Salt
- 5 ml honey
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients until fine paste using a blender. Mix with water and serve.
Bottle Gourd Side Effects
Warning! The bitter part of bottle gourd contains compounds known as tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacins, which can cause serious adverse reactions or even death. Discard the part before eating.
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