Bottle gourd Juice Benefits, Uses and Side effects

Bottle gourd has a very high water content thus It can keep your body hydrated during summers. Also, this juice has a cooling effect on the body. It cools your stomach and reduces the heat from the body.

While it can't replace water, bottle gourd juice can certainly provide you respite in a hot summer noon. Blend a glass of bottle guard juice for yourself and beat the heat like a pro.

Read more: Dehydration symptoms

Bottle gourd juice is rich in vitamin C, which can help reduce the wrinkles and dryness of the skin. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties which can lower the oxidative damage caused due to stress, pollution, and poor diet. Free radicals speed up the process of ageing and consuming food rich in vitamin C can help slow down this process.

Further, vitamin C plays a crucial role in the synthesis of collagen, the protein responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of your skin. Taking bottle gourd juice helps you reach your daily recommended dosage of vitamin C faster which alleviates the risk of skin loosening and fine lines.

You can also be a bit more creative and put some bottle gourd juice on your face to give that the topical supply of vitamin C.

Read more: Home remedies for face skin tightening

Bottle gourd juice is highly promoted for its weight loss benefits and is said to aid in trimming down those extra inches really quickly. Unfortunately, there is no scientific research to back this claim. Still, bottle gourd does have some characteristics which may be helpful in obesity prevention or an add-on to your weight loss regime.

First, it is low in fat and very high in water. So, it won't hamper your low-fat diet or add more fat when you are looking for cutting down fatty foods.

Second, it is a good source of vitamin C, which is helpful in reducing total fat content in the body and promoting weight loss. 

Studies indicate that free radical accumulation and oxidative stress may be the causative factor of obesity along with being one of the side effects of being overweight. The antioxidants present in this juice scavenge these free radicals, thereby preventing obesity and its adverse effects. 

Finally, it also helps eliminate toxins from the blood which improves metabolism and promotes weight loss.

Read more: Weight loss diet chart

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Bottle gourd has been found to possess immunostimulatory effect on the body. It increases the number of WBC (white blood cells) and other immune system cells, making a strong guard for our body. Made from whole bottle gourds, bottle gourd juice certainly inherits these properties. This may be due to the presence of Vitamin C in the juice, which helps enhance the immune system and prevents pathogenic microbes from entering our body.

It also acts as an antioxidant and prevents the damage of white blood cells. Along with other antioxidants present in bottle gourd juice, vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system by preventing the detrimental effects of stress and free radicals.

Read more: Immunity boosting foods

Traditionally, bottle gourd juice is considered to be very good for promoting digestion and relieving constipation. This could be due to the fact that this juice has some amount of fibre and a lot of water. While fibre provides bulk to your food, water content helps in cleaning our digestive tract. Together, these facilitate easy bowel movements. 

Further, constipation is considered to be one the causative factor for piles. By ensuring regular bowel movements, bottle gourd juice helps reduce excess pressure on your gut, thereby reducing the risk of haemorrhoids.

Read more: How to improve digestion

Having bottle gourd juice regularly is very beneficial for diabetic patients and also those who are at high risk for this disease. Preclinical studies report that bottle gourd pulp prevents the sudden rise in the blood sugar level and helps improve pancreatic cell function, which is usually impaired in diabetics.

Not only this, but bottle gourd juice may also be helpful in reducing cardiovascular damage and risk of heart diseases in diabetic people. This is because of the presence of zinc in bottle gourd juice which works actively in maintaining blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

Read more: Diabetes management

Inflammation is our body's normal response against infection and injury. However, systemic or long-term inflammation could point to an underlying disease. Some of the common inflammatory diseases include arthritis, rheumatism, and inflammatory bowel disease. These are characterised by swelling, redness and pain and are a cause of major discomfort. Good news is that having a glass of bottle gourd juice can help you get relief from both pain and inflammation. An animal study suggested that consuming bottle gourd juice significantly reduces inflammation and pain, without showing any side effects. Though the exact mode of action was not defined in this study.

The presence of antioxidants such as vitamin C in this juice may be one factor responsible for the anti-inflammatory property. It has an antioxidant compound which causes a reduction in inflammation by reducing oxidative stress. 

Read more: Inflammatory diseases types

Drinking bottle gourd juice regularly reduces the chance of getting urinary tract infections. It also helps in treating them. Bottle gourd is a diuretic, which means the frequency of urination in our system increases on drinking this juice. As a result, excess water and toxins are flushed out of the body. Apart from this, the antioxidants such as vitamin C present in the body helps prevent oxidative damage happening to our kidneys.

Read more: Home remedies for urinary tract infection

Bottle gourd juice helps to keep our heart healthy. The amount of zinc present in this juice has been found to reduce the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol while increasing HDL or good cholesterol. Along with its antioxidant properties, this helps to prevent the arteries from getting blocked by plaque. Thus the risk of cardiovascular disease is minimized.

Furthermore, zinc also helps in maintaining blood pressure levels to optimum, leading to lesser pressure on heart. 

Read more: The right time to check blood pressure

Apart from the above-mentioned health benefits, bottle gourd juice has some other healing benefits too. Here is a list of additional ways that bottle gourd can help your body and health.

• Bottle gourd juice acts as an antidote for poisoning that results from the sting of a scorpion.
• It is a tonic for people suffering from asthma, cough, and bronchitis.
• The juice extracted from the leaves of bottle gourd helps in the management of jaundice.
• The minerals present in bottle gourd juice such as magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese etc. helps in keeping the bones strong.
• It reduces the risk of migraines.
• Bottle gourd juice is an effective remedy for toothache.
• It helps to prevent worm infections and premature hair greying.