The bottle gourd is among the primordial food human has been consuming for a long time. It is also known as Calabash. It is generally perceived that bottle gourd has spread from Africa to the rest of the world. Our primordial ancestor uses to consume the tender fruit.
The ripening Bottle Gourd was used as the vassals to carry the water, store food the and the variety of other purposes. The propagation of the bottle gourds is done with the help of seeds. In other word sowing the seed does propagation of the bottle gourd.
Climate
Bottle gourd flourishes well in the tropical and subtropical climate. It grows well in the summer season.
Nutrition
Bottle gourd is containing various nutrients required for the human body. The major proportion of the bottle gourd is comprised of the Carbohydrate, which is less than four percent by volume. Further, the significant proportion of the bottle gourd is comprised of the Dietary Fiber.
It has the slight amount of fat that is less than one percent. The protein comprises of less than one percent by volume of bottle gourd. It is the good source of the water-soluble vitamin-like C and B complex.
The B complexes present in the bottle gourd are B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 and B9. Minerals present in the bottle gourd are Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Zinc is the meager amount (1).
Precaution
The better bottle gourd can be toxic to human. This is due to the presence of the tetracyclic Triterpenoids Cucurbitacins. This can be lethal to old individuals upon the consumption. These necessitate the abstinence of the bitter bottle gourd.
Health Benefits of Bottle Gourd
1. Weight Loss
The high fiber innate in the bottle gourd is beneficial in losing the weight. Further, the high water content followed by the alkaline nature helps to stabilize the blood pH leading to several health benefits (2).
Further, the goodness of the vitamins and minerals innate in the bottle gourds nourishes the body.
2. Anemia
The goodness of the innate iron and folic acid in the bottle gourd is beneficial in the prevention of the anemia (3).
Anemia is the disease caused by the lack of the iron in the diet. The iron is the component of the hemoglobin, which acts as the transfer of the oxygen molecule to the various part of the human body.
3. Cholesterol
The high soluble fiber innate in the bottle gourd is beneficial in the lowering of the cholesterol in the human body (4).
4. Digestion
The high water content combined with the beneficial effect of the insoluble fiber is beneficial in the smooth bowel movement. This is vital for the effective digestion of the food (5).
5. Healthy Heart
Consumption of the Bottle Guard is beneficial in obtaining the healthy heart. This is due to the beneficial effect of several vitamins and minerals innate in the bottle guard (6).
6. Liver
Traditionally Ayurveda doctors prescribe the use of the bottle guard in soothing the inflammation in the liver (7).
7. Skin
The goodness of the various antioxidant and essential nutrient innate in the bottle guard is beneficial in obtaining the charming skin (8).
Consumption of the bottle gourd is effective in soothing the liberation of the excess of oil from the skin. This is effective in preventing the skin infection and acne occurrence.
8. Hair
Intake of the bottle guard is associated with soothing of the premature graying of the hair. This has been mention in the Ayurveda (9).
9. Urinary Tract Infection
Intake of the Bottle Gourd is associated with the soothing of the urinary tract infection. This is due to the beneficial effect of the nutrients and alkalizing power of the bottle gourd (10).
10. Relieve Stress
The consumption of the bottle gourd is effective in relieving the stress. This is due to the beneficial effect of the high water content in the bottle gourd (11).
11. Insomnia
Bottle gourd is effective in soothing insomnia in occurrence in the human body.
Traditionally the bottle gourd juice mixed with the sesame oil is placed in the scalp to cure insomnia (12).
12. Bone
The presence of the calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus in the bottle gourd produces the healthy bone upon consumption (13).
13. Diabetes
The low glycemic index of the bottle gourd doesn’t spike the level of the glucose in the human blood upon consumption.
Further, the high fiber in it effective in the regulation of the sugar level in the blood.
Ayurveda strongly emphasizes the consumption of the bottle gourd for effective prevention of diabetes (14).
14. Hemorrhoids
Consumption of the bottle guard is effective in the soothing the occurrence of the hemorrhoids. This is due to the facilitation of the digestion of the food by the goodness of the fiber and high water content (15).
Side Effect
The compound coined tetracyclic Triterpenoids Cucurbitacins can be toxic to the human. Symptoms of the toxicity include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc.
