10 Health Benefits of Bottle Gourd (Doodhi, Lauki)

Talking about bottle gourd (Calabash), it’s known to be a dietitian’s favourite. The reason is quite clear. This versatile vegetable possess umpteen health benefits and can be safely added to most menus – be it diabetes, weight loss, healthy heart, kidney disease, liver disease, pregnancy and so on….. With about 90% of water content, just a few calories, almost no fat and high fiber along with a horde of nutrients it’s definitely a goldmine amongst the vegetable category.

Let’s look into the 10 Health Benefits of Bottle Gourd / Doodhi in Detail

1. Low in Calories and Fat… Can be Savoured by Weight Watcher’s – Doodhi or Bottle Gourd must be added to a weight watcher’s diet once a week for sure. A cup of chopped bottle gourd endows just about 17 calories and 0.1 g of fat. In addition it has 2.9 g of fiber too, which fills your stomach, digests slowly aids in weight loss. You just need to change your mindset of using it make Doodhi Halwa, which otherwise has unnecessary empty calories by way of sugar, and try and create delicious rotis, subzis, soups and snacks.

2. Filled with 90% of Water… A Perfect Thirst Quencher & Summer Delight – It’s a great idea to have a glass of Doodhi juice in summers. It reduces body heat and helps to quench thirst. By replenishing the much needed water content in your body, it will re-energize your body and prevent further fatigue.

3. Low in Carbs….Suitable For Diabetics – Being filled with so much water, doodhi is not only low in carbs (3.6 gm per cup) but also shows up in the list of low glycemic index foods. Diabetics can safely add it to their pantry and be assured of no fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. Try a completely fresh menu consisting of recipes like Doodhi Muthia and Doodhi and Chana Dal Subzi

4. Low in Sodium… Extremely beneficial for Hypertension & Heart – With extremely low levels of sodium, this vegetable is highly suitable for those with high BP. It helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure and ensures a proper blood flow to heart and there onwards to all parts of the body.

5. Alkaline in Nature… Befriend it if You suffer from Acidity often – Acidity is one such disease which can be controlled on a day-to-day basis with the perfect selection of ingredients. Bottle gourd is one of them. It’s alkalinity proves to be beneficial for the gut. A glass of bottle gourd juice eases the acids of the stomach and provides relief from acidity symptoms. It helps prevent acidity too.

6. High in vitamin C…. Carries Skin Glowing Properties – The high antioxidant vitamin C content of doodhi helps reduce wrinkles and induces a charming and smooth skin. Not only adding this vegetable to your meal helps, but fresh doodhi juice applied to the face and left for 20 minutes also shows instant glow on your skin. Try it and you will feel absolutely fresh and rejuvenated. Merely remember to consume the juice immediately, as it oxidizes very fast and has a tendency of reducing the vitamin C concentration.

7. Loaded with Water… Contributes Towards Easing Diarrhea – When solid food cannot be digested and you need a perfect glass to restore your water and electrolyte ratio, turn to this vegetable. Drink a glass of this juice with a pinch of salt - it’s quite pleasing to your gut and stomach.

8. High in Fiber… Treats Constipation – Beneficial to the gut is the high fiber content of bottle gourd. Along with its high water content, this vegetable will provide bulk to stools and ease bowel movements.

9. Established as an Alkaline Vegetable… It’s a Home Remedy for Urinary Infection – The best way to treat urinary infection is to offer your body with water from different sources. This water filled vegetable is a perfect choice then. Bottle Gourd Juice encompasses the alkalinity which helps to flush out toxins by way of urine when combined with some lemon juice.

10. Rich in Antioxidant… Reduces Inflammation of Liver – When liver is inflamed and needs that perfect nutrition to recover, bottle being high in antioxidant vitamin C is usually suggested. Again a glass of its juice would provide the utmost benefit.

Did You Know What’s Bottle Gourd Known as Across India?

Hindi – Lauki / Kaddu

Gujarati – Doodhi

Marathi – Pandhara Bhopla

Bengali – Lau

Tamil – Surai Kai

Telugu – Sorrakaye

Malayalam – Charanga

Kannada - Sorekai

Punjabi – Ghia

So now go ahead and shop for this vegetable every time you see it in the market.

Be inspired by our list of healthy recipes shared below and get going healthy today onwards....

Nutritional Information of Bottle Gourd (Doodhi, lauki)

1 Cup of chopped bottle gourd is about 145 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Energy - 17 calories
Protein – 0.3 g
Carbohydrate – 3.6 g
Fat – 0.1 g
Fiber – 2.9 g

See full details of nutritional information in bottle gourd glossary.