Lauki Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Introduction

Lauki or bottle gourd is considered a healthy vegetable. You can add it to your diet for increased nutrition. Lauki is scientifically known as Lagenaria siceraria and belongs to the family Curcurbitaceae. Lauki vegetable grows in tropical and subtropical countries such as India, Srilanka, South Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia.^1,2 

Lauki is also called calabash, doodhi, ghia, and kaddu in India. It is a pale green vegetable and is a staple in Indian cuisine. If you don’t like taking lauki directly, you can still consume the vegetable in the form of fresh juice. Lauki juice has a delicate nutty taste. It is a nutrient-packed beverage with naturally available antioxidants and minerals. You can make lauki juice by grinding the vegetable in a juicer and then filtering using a muslin cloth. You can also preserve lauki juice by adding basil for up to six months.^1,2 

So, continue reading to learn more uses, health benefits, and side effects of this power-packed beverage. 

Nutritional Value of Lauki Juice

Lauki is also called white-flowered or calabash gourd. Lauki juice is a densely packed nutritional drink. The juice is low in calories and contains around 96% water, making it extremely hydrating.² The nutritional value of lauki juice is as follows: 

The nutritional value of lauki juice per 100 grams.³ 

Here is the information in pointer format:

• Energy: 14 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 3.39 g
• Fats: 0.02 g
• Protein: 0.62 g
• Fibre: 0.5 g
• Iron: 0.2 mg
• Calcium: 26 mg
• Sodium: 2 mg
• Magnesium: 11 mg
• Potassium: 150 mg
• Selenium: 0.2 µg
• Phosphorus: 13 mg
• Zinc: 0.7 mg
• Manganese: 0.066 mg
• Copper: 0.026 mg
• Vitamin C: 10.1 mg
• Vitamin B1: 0.029 mg
• Vitamin B2: 0.022 mg
• Vitamin B3: 0.32 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.04 mg
• Vitamin B9: 6 µg
• Leucine: 0.36 g
• Isoleucine: 0.33 g
• Valine: 0.27 g
• Lysine: 0.021 g
• Arginine: 0.014 g

My observations say that people suffering from urinary tract infections might get relief when they drink fresh lauki juice mixed with lemon juice. It might also give relief from a burning sensation while urinating and reduce infection due to its diuretic and alkalinizing properties.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S M.D (Ayu)

Also Read: Pomegranate Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Properties of Lauki Juice 

Lauki juice is a nutrient-loaded drink. The essential nutrients have many beneficial activities that can aid human health.² The properties of lauki juice are as follows: 

• It may have cooling property  
• It may act as a laxative (help digestion)  
• It may have anti-inflammatory action  
• It may have diuretic action (help in urination)  
• It may have analgesic action (help in pain)  
• It may have lipid-lowering activity  
• It may have blood glucose-lowering activity  
• It might have anthelmintic properties (help in parasitic infection)  
• It may have an antibacterial effect  
• It may have anti-tumor activity  
• It may act as an antioxidant (help free radical scavenging)  
• It may have an immune response suppressing action  
• It may help reduce hypertension.²  

Also Read: Orange Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and More!

Potential Uses of Lauki Juice

Lauki has a long history and was used in medicines. Lauki juice might be recommended for consumption in the regular diet for all the nutrients it contains.^1,2 Some of the potential uses of lauki  are described as follows: 

1. Potential Uses of Lauki Juice for Weight Management  

Lauki juice for weight loss might be a great idea given it is 96% water! Lauki vegetable is considered a good option for weight management owing to its low-calorie content. It is said that lauki juice might help trim that extra belly fat. Lauki juice has a very low fat and cholesterol content and provides a good amount of dietary fiber, which may be beneficial in rapidly losing those extra inches.² 

Unfortunately, the present studies are insufficient to support this claim. Therefore, more studies are needed to support the potential use of lauki juice for weight management. Therefore, it is preferable to seek medical advice from a doctor before consuming lauki juice to keep a check on your weight. 

2. Potential Uses of Lauki Juice for Cholesterol

Lauki juice benefits include potentially lowering cholesterol levels. According to a study by Aslam & Nijam (2013), drinking lauki juice might decrease high cholesterol levels, fats, and lipid proteins. It might also increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body.. The dietary fiber present in lauki juice may be beneficial in lowering cholesterol. The phytochemical saponins found in lauki may increase lipoprotein activity and may prove useful in removing harmful fatty acids from the blood.¹ 

However, these studies are not sufficient. We require more proof of the benefits of lauki juice in managing cholesterol levels in humans. Therefore, before using lauki juice for a cholesterol management diet, it is recommended to speak with a doctor. 

3. Potential Uses of Lauki Juice for Blood Sugar

The benefits of lauki juice include potentially lowering blood sugar levels. A study report performed on animals was published in Food and Function in 2011. It showed that drinking lauki juice might lower blood sugar. Researchers observed that the antioxidant properties of lauki juice might be helpful in regulating blood sugar levels after a meal. ² 

This information is insufficient as these studies are not done on humans. More studies on humans are required to back this claim. Therefore, it is essential to first speak to your doctor and only then have lauki juice as an anti-diabetes medicine. 

I would highly recommend drinking freshly prepared lauki juice, especially in the summer, as it has a cooling effect on the body. It helps you to rehydrate yourself after you lose too much water due to sweating.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

4. Other Potential Uses of Lauki Juice

• Lauki juice might be helpful in acidity and digestion.¹
• The anti-inflammatory and analgesic  (pain-relieving) properties of lauki juice might make it a good option for pain, fever, and cough.¹
• Drinking one glass of lauki juice daily might help maintain healthy hair.¹
• Fresh lauki juice has antioxidants that might be beneficial for free radicle scavenging.¹
• Lauki juice has an anthelmintic activity that may benefit against tapeworm infestation .¹
• Freshly prepared lauki juice may have a cooling effect on the body.²
• Lauki juice might help produce collagen, a protein important for tissue strength.² 

Although there are studies that show the benefits of lauki juice in different health conditions, this information is insufficient. Hence, there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of lauki juice on human health. Furthermore, every person may respond differently to these herbs. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor before using lauki juice for any medical condition.  

Also Read: Giloy Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and More!

How to Use Lauki Juice?

The uses of lauki juice are as follows: 

• Lauki juice makes a nutty-flavored refreshing drink. 
• Lauki juice pulp can be used in canned preparations. 
• It is also used to make jams, jellies, and sweets (kheer, pedha).¹ 

It is necessary to consult a general physician before taking any herbal supplements. We advise you to not replace or quit your current medications with any Ayurvedic or herbal preparations without talking to a physician or an Ayurvedic doctor. They will recommend the most desirable method for its consumption. 

Based on some studies, drinking a glass of lauki juice every morning might help in treating grey hair. Additionally, when mixed with sesame oil might be an effective treatment for insomnia.

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S M.S.

Side Effects of Lauki Juice

According to the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology and the Indian Journal of Medical Research, drinking bitter lauki juice might pose serious side effects.² 

Bitter lauki juice contains toxins (cucurbitacins) that might harm the upper digestive system.⁴ The most common side effects of lauki juice are as follows: 

• Diarrhea 
• Abdominal pain 
• Bleeding 
• Severe vomiting (sometimes including blood) 
• Inflammation 
• Drop in blood pressure 
• Ulceration throughout the digestive tract.^2,4 

However, if you experience any of such side effects, seek immediate medical attention from your physician. They will be the best guide to provide you with proper treatment. 

Precautions to Take with Lauki Juice

Drinking lauki juice in small quantities is safe. However, general precautions need to be followed. 

• There is not sufficient scientific information currently available to consider the safe use of lauki juice for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Thus, it is vital to consult a physician before having it as a herb as it contains certain toxins which might affect health.    
• One must take extra precautions while giving it to small children and older people due to their low immunity and might develop harmful reactions.  
• Without consulting a doctor, people should not use lauki juice to self-medicate themselves.  

Also Read: Ash Gourd Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and More!

Interactions With Other Drugs

There is no scientific proof of the interaction between lauki juice and drugs. However, people should not presume that there are no interactions.  

Thus, we recommend you consult an Ayurvedic physician. They will advise you on the best way to have lauki juice as a herb. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Ahmad M, Ahmad I, Chaghaby E, Rashad S. Nutritional and Medicinal Potential of Bottle Gourd (Lageneria siceraria): A Mini Review . Egypt J of Bot. 2022;62(1):1–10. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sayed-Rashad/publication/356989131 

2. Minocha S, Tiwari A, Sharma A. An Overview on Lagenaria Siceraria (Bottle Gourd). J of Biomed and Pharma Res. 2015;4(3):4–10. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Akhilesh-Tiwari-10/publication/349533902 

3. Gourd, white-flowered (calabash), raw [Internet]. Food data central. 2022 [cited 13 July 2022]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169232/nutrients 4. Verma A, Jaiswal S. Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) juice poisoning. World J Emerg Med. 2015;6(4):308–309. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4677076/pdf/WJEM-6-308.pdf 

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