Add ash gourd to your diet: It can help you lose weight and more

The humble ash gourd, or petha as it is commonly known in India, is one of the best foods for weight loss. With a 96 per cent water content, this vegetable is very low in calories, fat, protein and carbs. But it is loaded with fiber and contains a little bit of many essential nutrients that you require on a daily basis. This is what makes it a perfect weight loss food. Ash gourd is extensively used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Nutritional value of ash gourd

This fruit contains mostly water and fibre. It, however, contains very small amounts of some nutrients. A 100-gram portion of raw ash gourd offers will give you less that 1 gm protein, 3 gm carbs and less than 1 gm fat. But it will give you 14 per cent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, 8 per cent of your daily requirement of riboflavin and 6 per cent of your daily requirement of zinc.

It also contains some amount of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese other than some amount of B vitamins. It is also a good source of the antioxidants, flavonoids and carotenes, which protect your body from cellular damage. This fruit is especially good for good for diabetics and heart disease patients.

Weight loss benefits of ash gourd

This amazing fruit is 96 per cent water. This is what makes it an ideal food if you want to lose weight. It also has a high soluble fibre content. The soluble fibre of this fruit forms a gel-like substance in your gut to slow digestion and keep you full for a longer period of time. This prevents you from overeating and enhances satiety. Ash gourd also increases your metabolic rate, and this induces faster weight loss.

This fruit boosts digestive health and keeps problems like constipation away. It offers protection against ulcers and parasites. A good digestive system is essential if you want to experience healthy weight loss. This fruit also keeps you hydrated and dehydration, as we all know, is bad for weigh loss. It is also a known laxative and diuretic, which again helps you lose a lot of weight.

Other health benefits of ash gourd

This fruit is especially good for people with diabetes. Ash gourd can help regulate blood sugar, triglyceride, and insulin levels. It keeps you cool in the long summer months and refreshes and hydrates you. It increases clarity and enhances cognitive abilities besides boosting stamina and building endurance. This fruit can also help your body fight off inflammation, which is often behind many chronic health conditions. Moreover, it also offers protections against a host of bacterial and fungal infections.

How to incorporate it in your diet

This is one of the most versatile fruits and you can have it either raw or cooked. This fruit is quite popular in Asian cuisine. You can boil it or fry it, add it to stews and soups or have it as a salad. In India, it is also cubed and candied and had as a sweet. Otherwise, you can also make jams and ketchups out of it.