Medicinal properties of bottle gourd and bitter bottle gourd

Bottle gourd is a vegetable. Though now-a-days people drink juice of bottle gourd for weight reduction it is not advisable for all constitutions. It maybe done only after consulting your nearest Ayurvedic physician (vaidya).

1. Bottle gourd

1 A. Some dishes prepared from bottle gourd

1 A 1. Halwa

Grate bottle gourd, saute in pure ghee and cook. Then add milk and stir till the milk coagulates and reduces, add sugar and steam. Add nuts such as cashewnuts, almonds, pistas etc as per availability.

1 A 2. Barfi

Grate and cook bottle gourd. Prepare a sugar syrup, add to it milk mawa (coagulated milk) , cooked bottle gourd, cardamom, saffron cashewnuts etc for flavouring. Pour into a greased pan. When cool cut into pieces.

1 A 3. Jam

Chop bottle gourd into pieces and steam. Add them to a sugar syrup.

1 A 4. Vegetable dish

A vegetable dish made from bottle gourd is not only tasty but also nutritious.

1 B. Benefits of bottle gourd

1 B 1. Overcoming problems of hyper acidity (pitta) and repair of the body

Vegetable dish made from bottle gourd eaten with jowar bhakri is excellent for hyper acidity and related disorders. This vegetable is good to overcome heat from the body. It also serves as an appetiser and helps in production of plasma, blood, muscle and other body components.

1 B 2. Preventing miscarriage

Make a paste of seeds of bottle gourd, mix with milk and sugar and consume. Women with repeated miscarriages should get basti (herbal enema) done from a local Vaidya (ayurvedic practitioner) along with this.

1 B 3. Growth of the foetus

A pregnant woman should certainly consume bottle gourd in all forms as it increases strength. For a healthy foetus eat this vegetable twice a month.

2. Bitter bottle gourd

In Sanskrut bitter bottle gourd Is called Katutumbi. This too grows on a creeper but it is large in size. In villages children go for swimming tying this to their back to remain afloat. Ash produced by burning this vegetable and its leaves is medicinal.

2 A. Medicinal uses of bitter bottle gourd

2 A 1. Jaundice

Drinking juice of bitter bottle gourd leaves cleanses the intestine reducing jaundice. Some people make a paste of it with water. However, this too induces diarrhea hence it should not be consumed without the advice of a vaidya.

2 A 2. Swellings in the body

Vaidyas from rural areas prescribe consumption of 2 to 3 tea sopoons of water filled in the bitter bottle gourd to be consumed in the morning. As per their experience this helps in reducing swellings. They also apply a paste of its leaves to the swellings.

2 A 3. Prolapse of the rectum

If a paste of bitter bottle gourd is applied to the rectal opening along with other medicines then it gives relief.

-Vaidya Vilas Jagannath Shinde, Jijai Ayurveda Chikitsalay, Khalapur, Raigad District

Note : Above mentioned medicinal uses of bottle gourd and bitter bottle gourd should be taken only after consultation with your ayurvedic physician’.