The healing power of bottle gourd or lauki
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Lauki is a large vegetable that can weigh up to a kilo. It looks like a zucchini inside. It is related to the melon and pumpkin. The lauki has a light green color and the pulp is almost white. It doesn't have much flavor so you have to season it well. Bottle gourds come in several types. Some varieties develop a woody skin. These are used for the manufacture of all kinds of things; from bowls to lamps. The bottle gourd is a vegetable that comes from both Asia and Africa and has traditionally been used on both continents for consumption, curing the sick and making household goods.
Contents:
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Naming bottle gourd Possible interaction with drugs Nutritional value bottle gourd Traditional medicine Bottle gourd or lauki in diabetes Lauki, good for the heart Lauki as a diuretic Lauki protects the liver General medicinal effects Simple recipe for bottle gourd
Naming bottle gourd
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The Latin name of lauki is Lagenaria siceraria. Lauki is actually the Hindu name of this vegetable. In Suriname the vegetable is called poe. The name bottle gourd makes sense because many of these varieties are used as natural bottles and look like a bottle.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Potential drug interaction
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Bottle gourd juice has been used in India since ancient times for its medicinal properties in diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, obesity problems and liver diseases. Recently (2012) this practice has been questioned because bottle gourd is said to have negative interactions with drugs. This could create toxins in the body. In India it is advised not to continue with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after drinking this juice. More research is needed on the interaction between bottle gourd juice and synthetic drugs to conclude what is best done. It is not yet known whether it is mainly due to the medicines or the juice of the bottle gourd.
Nutritional value of bottle gourd
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The bottle gourd contains a fair amount of Vitamin C, Vitamins from the B-complex, Betacerotene, Choline, Pectin, Triterpenoids, Saponins and Essential Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. The latter are mainly in the seeds, but you just eat them. The seeds have a diuretic and worm-eliminating effect. The vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients together appear to have a strong antioxidant effect. The immune system becomes measurably stronger from consuming bottle gourd.
Traditional medicine
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Pain, ulcers, fever, asthma and other respiratory problems are traditionally treated in India with the juice of a bottle gourd. Cardiovascular diseases can also be prevented with this juice. For this it must be taken daily for four to six months.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Bottle gourd or lauki for diabetes
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The bottle gourd has long been used in Ayurveda, Indian medicine, as a means to treat diabetes or diabetes mellitus. In 2008, a scientific study was conducted into the efficacy of bottle gourd and it indeed appears that the blood sugar level decreases when one drinks bottle gourd juice or eats bottle gourd. Rats were used for the study.
Lauki, good for the heart
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In 2008 a study took place in which rats were injected with a poison that is bad for the heart, doxorubicin. The rats that were subsequently fed dried bottle gourd powder showed fewer heart defects than the rats that were not fed this. The heart rate of rats that ate lauki did not increase while the heart rate of other rats did increase. The researchers conclude from this that lauki is good for the heart; it protects the heart from toxins.
Lauki as a diuretic
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Furosemide is a synthetic, regular drug to wick moisture; it makes you urinate more. Scientific research from 2007 shows that bottle gourd exhibits statistically similar diuretic activity to furosemide. More urine is excreted and more waste products disappear from the body.
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
Lauki protects the liver
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The substance silymarin is known to protect the liver. Bottle gourd has been studied for its liver-protective efficacy using a standardized ethanol extract. This is used to indicate exactly how much of a substance is used so that the experiment is repeatable. Rats were fed the ethanol extract and after two weeks the effect on the liver was measured. It turned out that all the processes needed to restore the liver were triggered by the bottle gourd extract, just like medicinal plants containing silymarin. It therefore has a liver-protecting effect.
General medicinal effects
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Bottle gourd is a plant that has been used as a medicine in India for several millennia. Scientific research has Flower Bottle Gourd / Source: Shizhao, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.5)
Simple recipe for bottle gourd
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You can prepare a bottle gourd like a courgette. It is nice to cut it into cubes and fry it with white cabbage, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Then you can season it with turmeric, oregano and black pepper and melt young cheese over it!
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25 minSmall dishflour, frozen puff pastry, egg, milk, walnut, mature cheese, paprika, dried Provençal herbs,puff pastry-sticks -
20 minSide dishEggs, lettuce, parsley, olive oil (extra virgin), tarragon vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper,lettuce with egg dressing -
15 minSmall dishbaking flour, peanut oil, flat leaf parsley,ar'nabit mi'li -
15 minAppetizerScottish salmon fillet, butter or margarine, fresh dill, creme fraiche, dry white wine, arugula lettuce melange, pan tostado,baked salmon with white-wine sauce