5 Incedible Benefits Of Bottle Gourd, Reasons To Include It In Your Diet

Right since my childhood, I’ve always heard of bottle gourd as the healthiest vegetable.  Rightly said, because it has sedative, anti-inflammatory properties and being full of nutrients, it really is the healthiest vegetable. Its low in saturated fat, which helps lower down bad cholesterol levels, and most importantly, is filled with loads of water, serving as the perfect choice for summers. It’s not heavy and hence forms a perfect option to be included in meals. Here’s more on why Bottle Gourd is a must-include in your diet.

Helps in weight loss

You’ll definitely find one or the other person who is striving to lose weight. Because of our lifestyle, weight gain has become a common problem. There’s nothing better than resorting to natural ways in order to lose the extra pounds. Bottle Gourd has low caloric value and hence aids weight loss. Eating 100 grams of gourd provides around 14 calories of energy. This means you can eat gourd to the extent of being full and not worry about extra calorie intake. Not only this, but they are also a good source of dietary fibre which helps us feel full for a longer duration. It hence prevents overeating, which comes out to be a major cause of obesity.

Eating 100 grams of gourd provides around 14 calories of energy. This means you can eat gourd to the extent of being full and not worry about extra calorie intake.

Helps in maintaining a healthy digestive system

Bottle Gourd is a common medicine for disturbed digestion. Eating Bottle Gourd on a regular basis helps improve digestion and keep digestive system on a healthy track. Dietary fibres present in the gourd help not only keep us full but also act as a natural laxative, helps in smooth movement of bowel and hence facilitate elimination of stool without any problem. This provides relief from conditions like constipation or poor digestion. We know that water aids digestion. Bottle gourd constitutes around 92 percent of water and hence adds to why it is good for disturbed digestive systems.

Acts as a natural sedative

Our modern lifestyle is actually not good if we judge it from the point of being healthy. We suffer from weight loss, we do not get proper sleep, and we do not have time for physical work. Amidst all this, the best we can do is to eat healthily. Bottle Gourd acts as a natural sedative and helps facilitate calm sleep. Insomnia, which means lack of sleep can cause various health problems like cardiovascular problems, irregular heartbeat, increased risk of high blood pressure, the risk of diabetes, the risk of stroke, lowers libido, the risk of amnesia, depression, anxiety etc. Bottle Gourd has been found to provide relief from this.

Facilitates liver health

Liver forms a very important part of our body. Continuous problems in the liver can lead to liver failure which can further lead to life-threatening conditions. Bottle Gourd has been found to be extremely useful in dealing with inflammation of the liver. Antioxidants present in gourd help remove toxins from the system, protect kidney and liver from the oxidative damage caused by free radicals and hence contribute towards overall proper functionality.

The glycemic index of bottle gourd is 15, which is low. This means that bottle gourd releases sugar into the blood at a much slower rate and hence helps check diabetes.

Reduces the risk of several types of cancers and is good for diabetics

The word Cancer is enough to terrify us and diabetes, though common these days, too has some severe effects on our health. Cancer occurs due to the uncontrolled growth and division of cells.  Most of the cells in the body have a definite lifespan. It is replaced with a new cell that can function better. Cancerous cells do not have the component that asks them to die. This results in these cells living even after their predefined lifespan and use oxygen and nutrients from other cells. These cells then start collecting and form a tumor. The antioxidants present in Bottle Gourd help prevent this oxidative damage to the cells.

The glycemic index of bottle gourd is 15, which is low. This means that bottle gourd releases sugar into the blood at a much slower rate and hence helps check diabetes. The dietary fibres also help in checking the level of sugar in blood.  It reduces the pace at which sugar gets absorbed in the bloodstream.

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