Although it’s slight bitter in taste, bottle gourd, popularly known as lauki has a whole long list of health benefits. This light green color vegetable is referred by different names in different parts of the country, but its goodness remains the same all over. Apart from lauki, bottle gourd is known by the names, calabash gourd, doodhi and ghiya,
TAMIL-Sorekai/Chorakkai
MALAYALAM-Chorakaa
TELUGU-Sorakaya/Anapa Kaya
KANNADA- Sorekai/Esugai Balli
BENGALI-Lau
GUJARATI-Dudhi
MARATHI-Pandhara Bhopla/Dudhya Bhopla
PUNJABI-Ghia
Lauki contains 96% of water thus it is very good for digestion and extracting juice which is rich in potassium, iron, sodium, vitamin C and vitamin B. The level of fats and cholesterol is barely minimum, just like the price of lauki. Hence, it is low in cost, good for health and readily available in the market throughout the year.
Vitamin C is an active antioxidant that protects body cells from being damaged. It gives rise to the production of collagen and prevents DNA oxidation.
If you do not like to eat lauki, you can extract its juice and have along with breakfast. A small cup of lauki juice contains 1.8 mg of zinc which is an essential mineral to help maintain the functioning of cells and regulating the secretion of hormones.
Let us take a look at some more health benefits of lauki.
Excellent in weight loss: As mentioned earlier, lauki hugely contains water, it is absolutely easy on the digestive system and highly nutritious. Consuming a glass of lauki juice on an empty stomach literally helps to restrain your appetite.
Fights constipation: It has a balanced combination of soluble as well as insoluble fibers which treat constipation, acidity and other disorders related to the digestive tract.
Gives a soothing effect: High water content in lauki keeps you hydrated and replenishes the amount of water lost in the form of sweat. It provides a cooling effect to the body. Lauki juice is absolutely a must have during summers.
Relieves urinary problems: Lauki juice is diuretic in nature which allows it to flush out excess heat and release toxins from the body, which are generally a major cause of most urinary disorders.
Good for the heart: It regulates blood pressure thereby keeping your heart healthy and happy!
Image Source: twitter.com