A common cooking staple, bottle gourd (upo) is a
vegetable with pale, smooth and waxy green surface and white spongy flesh. It
is known by a variety of other names such as lauki, calabash gourd and
white-flowered gourd.
The juice of bottle gourd is consumed by thousands of
people because of its astonishingly surprising effects to our health.
Why Juice Bottle Gourd
Bottle gourd contains about 96% water which makes it
perfect for juicing. It is inexpensive and readily available in the market.
Moreover, extracting the juice from bottle gourd is not at all difficult.
Bottle gourd juice is rich in vitamins B and C, sodium,
iron and potassium and very low fat and cholesterol level. Its antioxidant
properties make it quite popular among health-conscious people.
A single cup of bottle gourd juice contains 26 mg of
vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and protects the cells from damages and
prevents DNA oxidation. Bottle gourd juice also boosts collagen production.
In addition, about 1.8 mg of zinc is found in a cup of
bottle gourd juice. Zinc plays an important role in maintaining healthy cell
functions and regulates hormones.
888
8 Essential Benefits of Bottle Gourd Juice
#1: Treats Urinary Problems
Since it is diuretic in nature, bottle gourd juice flushes out the excess water content from the body. Bottle gourd juice becomes even more effective when a spoon of lime juice is added to it before consumption.
#2: Promotes Weight Loss
Bottle gourd juice is popular among those who want to
lose weight. All you need to do is peel the skin of a fresh bottle gourd, cut
it into little pieces, put it in a juicer and prepare the juice. Have this
juice regularly to reduce your weight. As this juice is loaded with vitamins,
potassium and iron, it is extremely nutritious. Moreover, this juice is
believed to curb your appetite if you can manage to drink it in the morning on
an empty stomach.
#3: Helps Digestion and Treats Constipation
Bottle gourd contains not only soluble fiber, but also
insoluble fiber along with high water content. Bottle gourd juice is beneficial
for improving the digestive system. Drinking bottle gourd juice is known to
treat constipation effectively. It also helps in treating problems related to
digestive system like acidity and flatulence.
#4: Treats Sleeping Disorders
If you are suffering from insomnia, try mixing sesame oil with bottle gourd juice. It is known to help you sleep better.
#5: Provides Cooling Effect
Since bottle gourd juice is rich in water content, it
provides a cooling to the body, which help to replenish the water lost in the
form of sweat. It is an absolute must-have during summers!
#6: Keeps the Heart Healthy
Drinking bottle gourd juice helps you to keep the heart
healthy by regulating the blood pressure.
#7: Reduces Inflammation of Liver
Ayurveda recommends drinking bottle gourd juice for
reducing inflammation of the liver.
#8: Replenishes Loss of Water Content
If you are suffering from health issues like profuse sweating, fatigue or diarrhea, then drinking a glass of bottle gourd juice would prove to be extremely good for you. Bottle gourd juice naturally helps to replace the water content lost and at the same time, controls extreme thirst, which is common among diabetic patients. It revitalizes you by replenishing the loss of water.
2 Beauty Benefits of Bottle Gourd Juice
Did you know that drinking bottle gourd juice regularly
in the morning can be helpful in preventing baldness and premature graying of
hair? Not only that, drinking bottle gourd juice is known to give a healthy
glow to your skin and prevent pimples and acnes by promoting inner health. Bottle
gourd juice can be extremely good for your skin and your hair in the following
ways:
#1: To Prevent Untimely Graying of Hair
If you regularly drink bottle gourd juice early in the
morning, chances are that you would not get premature grey hair.
#2: To Get Smooth and Beautiful Skin
Since bottle gourd juice internally cleanses your system,
it helps to promote good skin by keeping pimples away and by balancing the
secretion of oil.
Bottle Gourd Recipes
Ø Classic
Bottle Gourd Juice
How to make bottle gourd juice? Drinking the juice of bottle
gourd or bottle gourd has amazing benefits. But if do not like the flavor and
taste of raw bottle gourd, here is a bottle gourd juice recipe that you may
like to try:
1.
Take a small bottle gourd, about 250 or 300
grams in weight.
2.
Wash the bottle gourd thoroughly to do away with
any surface impurity.
3.
Peel the bottle gourd and cut it into small
pieces. If possible, taste a small piece to find out if the bottle gourd tastes
bitter.
4.
Add five or six mint leaves.
5.
Add a bit of water and put it in the blender.
6.
Once it is done, add a spoon of cumin powder,
two spoons of black pepper powder and salt to taste. Stir well and add a few
ice cubes.
7.
Just follow this recipe and you too will become
a fan of bottle gourd juice!
Whether you decide to consume bottle gourd juice or use
it for external application, it is known to work wonders. You may like to try
out the following easy beauty recipes that involve the use of bottle gourd
juice to get flawless skin and beautiful hair:
Ø Bottle
Gourd Juice Hair Treatment Formula
1.
Take a small bottle gourd, wash it and peel it.
2.
Then blend it in a blender and extract the
juice.
3.
Use half-a-cup of bottle gourd juice and mix
four spoons of amla powder and two spoons of olive oil. Now apply the paste on
the hair strands.
4.
Start from the hair roots and work your way to
the ends.
5.
Wait for about one hour and then wash off with a
good quality shampoo.
6.
Done at regular intervals, this hair treatment
would impart healthy locks.
Ø Bottle
Gourd Juice Dandruff Treatment
1.
Mix bottle gourd juice and amla juice in equal
quantities.
2.
Massage this concoction on your scalp to treat
dandruff naturally.
Ø Bottle Gourd Juice Hair Pack For Grey Hair
1.
Mix bottle gourd juice and sesame oil in equal
quantities.
2.
Apply it on your hair and leave it for two
hours.
3.
Wash it thoroughly.
4.
Alternately, you may mix bottle gourd juice with
olive oil and apply the mixture on your hair strands.
5.
Wait for two hours before you rinse it off. Do
it regularly to prevent graying of hair.
Ø Bottle Gourd Juice-Cucumber Face Pack
1.
Grate a cucumber and a bottle gourd.
2.
Extract the juice and mix it with besan.
3.
Add a spoon of yogurt.
4.
Mix thoroughly and apply it on your face.
5.
Wait for twenty minutes and wash off with
lukewarm water.
6.
It is a soothing face pack that gives your skin
a squeaky-clean feeling and nourishes your skin at the same time.
Ø Bottle Gourd Juice-Tomato Juice Astringent
1.
Mix bottle gourd juice with the juice of a
tomato in equal quantities.
2.
Add a few drops of cucumber juice.
3.
Apply this mixture on your face twice daily with
the help of a cotton ball.
4.
This homemade astringent is known to impart
glowing skin and curbing the secretion of excess oil. However, refrain from
using this face pack if your skin is allergic to tomato juice.
Source: Style Craze
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...