Guest Column

Snake Gourd: Don’t Go By Its Taste, Go For The Benefits

By
Pragnya Paramita

Since ancient times snake gourd plant has been well-regarded for its significant medicinal value in Ayurvedic texts. It belongs to the cucumber and squash family. The plant is a vine, growing naturally in the wilderness in South-East Asian and East Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, China, Nepal and Indonesia, as well as in the warmer southern regions in Australia.

The immature fruit is green and elongated and derives its name due to its characteristic coiled appearance with light white stripes. It has a soft, fleshy texture and bland flavour, while the mature fruit is longer, red in colour and inedible, due to its bitter taste. It is commonly considered a vegetable, which is mostly made into a curry in India. 

Properties

This green vegetable has a lot of nutrients and is easily digestible. According to USDA, a 100 g serving of snake gourd gives us:

86.2 kcal calories

3.9g fat

12.5g carbohydrate

0.6g dietary fibre

2.0g of protein

0.0mg cholesterol

359.1mg potassium

5.1 % calcium

6.7 % magnesium

5.0 % phosphorus

7.2 % zinc

5.7 % iron

It also hosts important phenolics and cucurbitacins. 

Benefits

Being high on water content, it provides a cooling effect on the body and its zero cholesterol is highly beneficial for heart health. It is a powerhouse of vitamin C and a host of flavonoids and carotenes, which serve as an agent to boost our immune system. 

Owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, it is seen to provide relief against valuable curative properties for conditions such as fever and jaundice. In addition, the juice of snake gourd also helps in reducing hair and scalp ailments like dandruff and bald patches (alopecia).

As it is low on calories and high in essential nutrients, it can be taken regularly by people who follow a strict diet regimen to lose weight. As it is a non-starchy vegetable it is a constant addition to all keto diets. Snake gourd has a significant fibre content, which helps to reduce constipation and bloating of the stomach. The presence of Vitamin E makes it a needed element for skin health and maintenance. 

Residue derived from snake gourd has astringent property which helps in decreasing skin inflammation caused due to allergies, fungal infections and environmental pollutants. The seeds present within the immature snake gourd also possess a lot of nutritional components, including minerals like calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, besides antioxidant, antimicrobial and hypo-glycemic properties. 

All these highly beneficial properties are making snake gourd a popular vegetable with the masses. The crop is, in fact, being propagated all over the world in tropical environments, so that people can procure its marvellous merits, for complete wellness.

Pragnya Paramita

Recent Posts

‘I Want To Talk’: Twitterati Lauds Abhishek Bachchan, Say He Is Better Than Amitabh

Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan’s highly-anticipated film ‘I Want To Talk’ released in theatres on Friday, and the…

November 22, 2024

Cash-For-Vote Row: BJP Leader’s Defamation Notice Against Rahul Gandhi, Kharge

New Delhi: Accused of giving cash to secure votes ahead of election day in Maharashtra,…

November 22, 2024

CM Mohan Majhi Attends ‘Odisha State Day’ Celebrations At IITF In Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ‘Odisha State Day Celebrations’ at the 43rd…

November 22, 2024

Vishal Aditya Singh Calls Shweta Tiwari ‘Mom’, Breaks Silence On Fake Wedding Pictures

Mumbai: Recently, some morphed pictures of actress Shweta Tiwari and her good friend Vishal Aditya…

November 22, 2024

2 Tribal Men Get Life Imprisonment For Gangraping Minor Girl In Odisha

Phulbani: Two tribal men were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in Odisha's…

November 22, 2024

Atishi Or Kejriwal, Who Is The Better CM? Delhi’s Lt Gov Takes His Pick

New Delhi: It’s been just over two months since Atishi took oath as Delhi’s chief…

November 22, 2024

Dr Manita Tamang Of AIIMS Bhubaneswar Receives UC Chakroborty Award

Bhubaneswar: In a moment of pride for AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr Manita Tamang, a final-year Senior…

November 22, 2024

Amid Fresh Violence, 10,000 Additional Soldiers To Be Sent To Manipur

Imphal: In view of the surge in violence in troubled Manipur, the Central government will send…

November 22, 2024